Rafah crossing purely Egyptian-Palestinian: Senior Hamas official
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Hamas official Osama Hamdan says the invasion of the Rafah crossing was an overt Israeli attempt to sabotage all mediator efforts to achieve a ceasefire agreement.
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Senior Hamas official Osama Hamdan
Senior Hamas official Osama Hamdan made it clear on Tuesday that "the military operation in Rafah, if carried out by Israel, will not be a picnic" for the Israeli occupation forces, which were defeated and humiliated in all the areas they have invaded in the Gaza Strip.
Speaking during a press conference in the Lebanese capital Beirut on Hamas' acceptance of the ceasefire proposal presented by mediators Egypt and Qatar, Hamdan pointed out that the decision came as a result of long, difficult, complicated, and continuous negotiations over the past weeks and months.
He mentioned that the past period saw several proposals that did not meet the conditions of the Resistance or the demands of the Palestinian people, affirming that Hamas "adhered to its demands, showed flexibility where necessary, and set red lines that cannot be crossed or compromised."
Hamdan stressed that Hamas' acceptance of the ceasefire proposal stems from the movement's responsibility before the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip and its deep concern for its interests, rights, constants, and sacrifices, and from a positive response to the role of mediators in achieving this deal.
Hamas has shown positive spirit toward reaching an agreement
The Hamas official leader stressed that, during negotiations, the movement has shown a positive and responsible spirit at all stages, where it attempted to overcome all obstacles that prevented reaching a satisfactory proposal while preserving the rights of the Palestinian people.
He reiterated the Resistance's demands in any agreement, which include the complete cessation of the Israeli aggression and the withdrawal of Israeli occupation forces from all areas of the Gaza Strip, as well as the unconditional return of displaced people to their homes and areas and the reconstruction of Gaza and the provision of relief for its people, leading to a serious deal on a prisoner swap.
Hamdan also expressed appreciation and gratitude to the mediators in Egypt and Qatar for their efforts in reaching an agreement.
In the same context, the Palestinian official explained that the agreed-upon deal stipulates interconnectivity between its three stages, preventing "Israel" from implementing only one stage, which is retrieving its captives and resuming its aggression.
Touching on the unity among Palestinian factions, Hamdan confirmed that Hamas has been in contact with all Resistance factions, including the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) movement, represented by its Secretary-General Ziad al-Nakhalah, and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), represented by Deputy Secretary-General Jamil Mezher.
Read more: Explainer: The three-phase agreement Hamas has agreed to
Hamas serious about cooperating positively with mediators
The Palestinian official noted that the Hamas leadership's request for its negotiating delegation chaired by Khalil al-Hayya to head to Cairo confirms its seriousness about cooperating positively with the mediators.
He also stressed that Hamas' agreement to the mediators' proposal, in contrast to the behavior of the Israeli government and its Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's attempt to evade reaching an agreement, puts the US administration before "the obligation to abandon its bias toward the occupation and transition to pressuring it to stop the aggression."
Hamdan stressed that "the ball is in Netanyahu's court" and his extremist government, adding that their response following Hamas' acceptance of the ceasefire proposal reflects their insistence on obstructing all mediator efforts, including Washington's.
The Hamas official added that the ball is also in the court of the US administration, which must prove its seriousness and credibility in forcing the Netanyahu government to implement the agreement.
Read more: Israeli officials believe they 'got played' by US on Gaza deal: Axios
Rafah crossing purely Egyptian-Palestinian
Hamdan also addressed the Israeli military's ground invasion of Rafah and the occupation of the Rafah border crossing with Egypt, deeming it "a crime and a dangerous escalation against a civilian facility protected by international law."
He indicated that the latest Israeli operation aims to exacerbate the humanitarian situation in Gaza by blocking the Rafah crossing and preventing the flow of emergency relief aid through it.
He added that the invasion of the Rafah crossing was an overt Israeli attempt to sabotage all mediator efforts to achieve a ceasefire agreement and a desperate attempt to create an illusory victory image to save face for Netanyahu.
Hamdan, on behalf of Hamas, called on the Arab League and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to hold an urgent meeting at the level of foreign ministers and take effective action to stop this violation and force the Israeli occupation to stop its aggression.
He also urged the United Nations to pressure the Israeli occupation to stop this escalation.
Elsewhere, the Hamas official underlined that "the Rafah crossing was and will remain a purely Egyptian-Palestinian crossing," reaffirming that the Resistance will not respond to any initiative under military pressure.
Read more: Palestinian factions condemn IOF invasion of Rafah
