Israeli-Palestinian mediated talks led to no results: PIJ Deputy-Chief

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Al Mayadeen
12 Jul 2024 02:55
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A top official in the Palestinian Islamic Jihad has confirmed that the Israeli negotiating team's performance in Doha has led to no positive results.

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The Deputy Secretary General of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad Mohammad al-Hindi speaks to Al Mayadeen in an interview on July 11, 2024. (Al Mayadeen)

The latest round of mediated negotiations between the Palestinian Resistance and the Israeli occupation did not lead to any results, the deputy secretary general of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), Mohammad al-Hindi, told Al Mayadeen.

Al-Hindi explained that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his government's priority is unrelated to retrieving Israeli captives in the Gaza Strip, but instead, it is to carry on the war on the besieged territory.

'Israel' fails to advance talks, despite Resistance's flexible performance

"The Israeli negotiator is stalling, as he told the mediators that he would return to Tel Aviv, and then he would give them a response regarding what was proposed [in the meetings]," al-Hindi explained.

Pointing to the crucial opportunity to finalize a deal that recently presented itself to the Israeli government, the PIJ official said that Israeli authorities encroached on a dangerous escalation when they demanded that all residents of Gaza City leave their residences and head southwards.

"Working to displace the people of Gaza City is a step that does not [show] that the occupation wants to reach an agreement," he underlined.

Al-Hindi said that Netanyahu is taking advantage of the current turbulent political scene in the United States, underscoring that the closer the US presidential election is, the less pressure his government could be put under to finalize a deal with the Palestinian Resistance.

As for Washington's role in the negotiations process, the PIJ official said that the US has shown that it "does not want to hold Netanyahu responsible" for the failed talks.

In his interview with Al Mayadeen, the Palestinian politician reiterated the Resistance's negotiating team's positive and flexible performance during the talks. This, he said, was done "because [the Resistance] is keen on alleviating the suffering of the Palestinian people."

Timeline for continued talks has not been set

No date has been set for the Palestinian Resistance's negotiating team to visit the countries mediating the talks between the two sides, al-Hindi revealed.

Despite the feedback presented by Palestinian negotiators at an earlier time, which led to renewed talks, the Israeli negotiating team refused the inclusion of an article that would necessitate that talks for a permanent ceasefire not be subject to a time limit.

Al-Hindi also said that the Palestinian Resistance demanded guarantees from mediators that the temporary ceasefire for completing the prisoner exchange process would lead to a permanent ceasefire.

He also explained that the Resistance wants the withdrawal of Israeli occupation forces from the strategic Netzarim Axis, which splits the northern Gaza Strip from the rest of the besieged territory, and the Philadelphi Axis, which extends alongside the Palestinian-Egyptian border in the Gaza Strip.

However, "Israel" has insisted on imposing its conditions regarding who will manage the Rafah border crossing. Al-Hindi pointed though to a second option that the Resistance could opt for, which is taking back the Axis by force.