Palestinian officials deny existence of new Gaza proposals - Exclusive
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Senior Hamas official Mahmoud Al-Mardawi tells Al Mayadeen that Netanyahu still aims to fragment the ceasefire negotiations.
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Senior Hamas official Mahmoud al-Mardawi speaks to Al Mayadeen, on Tuesday, October 29, 2024
Reports by Western and Israeli media, as well as proposals for partial Gaza deals "shall not pass", underlined senior Hamas official Mahmoud al-Mardawi on Tuesday.
Al-Mardawi told Al Mayadeen on Tuesday that the conditions for reaching a deal regarding a ceasefire and prisoner exchange for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu "have not yet matured."
While noting that "Netanyahu aims to fragment the negotiation framework," the Palestinian official expressed his belief that the Israeli government will be forced to change its political stance as a result of pressure from the battlefield.
In the same context, the head of Arab Relations in the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) movement, Rasmi Abu Issa, told Al Mayadeen that the group has not been officially informed of any new proposal regarding negotiations for a prisoner exchange and a ceasefire.
All the talk about new proposals for negotiations is merely speculation, Abu Issa said, emphasizing that "nothing has been solidified regarding the negotiations."
"What deal are they referring to? Today, we heard Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich say he will not accept any deal," the PIJ official said.
Progress in ceasefire talks not expected till post-US election: CNN
On Monday, CNN cited a source briefed on the talks as saying that the latest ceasefire discussions are not expected to make "significant progress" until after the coming US elections.
The source pointed out that the most recent round of discussions, which began on Sunday in the Qatari capital of Doha, was not aimed at negotiating a captive release or ceasefire agreement but rather at sparking the process.
The office of Israeli occupation Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed Monday that Mossad chief David Barnea has returned from a 24-hour visit to Qatar, where he discussed potential Gaza captive deal proposals.
According to Netanyahu's office, Barnea, alongside CIA Director Bill Burns and Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, reviewed in Doha "a unified proposal" that merges previous approaches while taking into account "the main issues and recent developments in the region."
The "recent developments" likely refer to the killing of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar in Gaza earlier this month, The Times of Israel suggested.
“In the coming days, the discussions between the mediators and with Hamas will continue to examine the feasibility of talks and continuing to try to promote a deal,” the statement read.
Current proposals include a recent Egyptian plan announced by President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi for a two-day ceasefire in Gaza and the release of four Israeli captives held by the Palestinian Resistance, in addition to a multi-stage Qatari-American initiative aimed at the eventual release of all captives and an end to the ongoing war on the Strip.
Before their resumption, negotiations for a ceasefire in Gaza and a prisoner exchange deal reached a dead end due to Netanyahu's insistence on maintaining Israeli presence along the key Philadelphi Corridor along Gaza's southern border, which also includes the Rafah Crossing with Egypt.
Meanwhile, Hamas has repeatedly reiterated its key demands for any potential agreement; a permanent ceasefire, the complete withdrawal of Israeli occupation forces from the Gaza Strip, the unrestricted return of displaced residents to their homes, comprehensive relief and reconstruction efforts, and a serious prisoner exchange deal.
The Palestinian Resistance group has also demanded that "Israel" adhere to the terms agreed upon on July 2, which are based on a plan laid out by US President Joe Biden and a UN Security Council resolution.
Read more: Top Israeli Gaza deal negotiator resigns over stalled progress
Hamas, PIJ congratulate Sheikh Qassem’s election as Hezbollah chief
Al-Mardawi also addressed the election of Sheikh Naim Qassem as Hezbollah's new Secretary-General, describing Sheikh Qassem's election as "an act of defiance against Israeli occupation."
He also viewed that the election of Sheikh Qassem includes “significance and messages to the occupation.”
Sheikh Qassem's election is meant to confront the occupation’s policies, the Palestinian official pointed out, extending Hamas' congratulations for Hezbollah's new Secretary General.
He expressed his confidence that Sheikh Qassem would prevent southern Lebanon from becoming another Sinai or Jordan Valley.
Similarly, Abu Issa said the PIJ is confident that Sheikh Qassem will be a worthy successor to his predecessor, martyr Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah.
Read more: Palestinian Resistance factions congratulate Sheikh Qassem on election
![In a 2021 interview with Frontline by former US special representative James Jeffrey, he says he had "engaged with [HTS] via backchannels while serving in President Trump’s State Department. (Al Mayadeen English; Illustrated by Batoul Chamas)](https://alpha-en-media.almayadeen.net/media/image/2024/12/21/b4a69f2e-8682-43e4-9d37-49482b304ab3/3.png?v=2&format=webp "In a 2021 interview with Frontline by former US special representative James Jeffrey, he says he had \"engaged with [HTS] via backchannels while serving in President Trump’s State Department. (Al Mayadeen English; Illustrated by Batoul Chamas)")
