On Friday, Ali Abu Shaheen, a member of the Political Bureau of the Islamic Jihad Movement in Palestine, emphasized to Al Mayadeen that the Prime Minister of the occupation government, Benjamin Netanyahu, faces two choices: either "accept what the resistance has offered or escalate to full-scale war."

He underscored the resistance's unwavering commitment to its core principles, stating that they "will stand firm and not retreat from any essential stance."

Abu Shaheen explained to Al Mayadeen that "negotiations are ongoing," highlighting that "the resistance maintains a positive stance aimed at stopping the war.” He highlighted that the US administration is facing a political dilemma, while the Israeli occupation is grappling with dilemmas both politically and militarily.

He additionally highlighted Israeli contradictions emerging, warning that these internal disputes could jeopardize the occupation government's stability "if it expands," especially as global discontent over the aggression against Gaza applies "soft pressure" on the Americans.

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Abu Shaheen also commented on Egypt's position regarding the events in Gaza, stressing that Cairo opposes any form of forced displacement. He underscored the necessity for a more robust procedural stance from the entire Arab framework concerning these matters.

He emphasized to Al Mayadeen that "the Arab brothers must exert political pressure on the United States and Israel to voice their discontent," emphasizing that they should understand that "if Gaza collapses, they all will."

Furthermore, he pointed out that the US permitted Netanyahu to carry out a raid into the city of Rafah, located south of the Gaza Strip, Pointing out that the American problem “lies in the issue of civilians.”

Regarding the Lebanese front, Abu Shaheen said that the Israelis are sending messages to Lebanon using fire to deter the resistance. As for Iran, he stressed that the Iranian Foreign Minister made great efforts through diplomatic efforts to stop the aggression against the Gaza Strip. 

'Israel' turns down Hamas ceasefire proposals

This comes after the Israeli occupation rejected on Thursday the ceasefire proposal made by Hamas days earlier, which entails the release of all Israeli captives and the cessation of hostilities in Gaza over three stages.

As reported by Axios, which cited two Israeli officials, the Israeli occupation regime told the Qatari and Egyptian mediators that it rejected the ceasefire proposal, but it was still open to talks based on the original proposal discussed in late January.

The Israeli occupation's response, namely the fact that it is still open for talks, goes against what embattled Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and numerous of his far-right government ministers have been saying about there being no ceasefire without the destruction of the Hamas Resistance movement. 

The response also said it would not agree to the demand of fully withdrawing from Gaza, especially not when it comes to pulling out its forces from the "corridor" splitting Gaza by half and isolating its south from the north. This would prohibit displaced civilians from returning to northern Gaza during the first phase of the deal's implementation.