Hamas memo: We uphold positive stance on Biden's statements
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The Hamas movement clarifies its position, maintaining its stance on Biden's earlier statements, while highlighting the contradictory nature of the US president's subsequent remarks.
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Masked Palestinian Hamas Resistance fighters hold a press conference in Gaza City, on April 9, 2011. (AP)
The Hamas movement sent an explanatory memorandum addressing indirect negotiations with the Israeli occupation government. This followed a statement by US President Joe Biden on Friday, May 31, announcing an Israeli proposal regarding a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.
Explanatory memorandum from the Islamic Resistance Movement - Hamas:
In light of President Biden's declarations about the need to end the war, withdraw occupation forces, allow aid entry, return the displaced, and rebuild, and considering the statements from officials in the occupation government and the US administration, as well as what we have heard from mediators in Qatar and Egypt regarding a proposal from the occupation government referenced by President Biden, it has become clear to us that the enemy’s position lacks clarity.
There are contradictions in the statements of its senior officials, and the Biden administration is shaping the movement's approval as the primary obstacle in framing the issue. The US administration's media, political, and diplomatic efforts highlighted this, creating a picture that lacks clarity.
The movement's clarified points are as follows:
First point
The movement, as well as other Resistance factions, has consistently demonstrated flexibility and positivity towards the efforts of the mediators in all preceding indirect rounds of negotiation. This commitment was evident until the announcement of the mediators' proposal on May 6, which the movement deemed to encompass the essential foundations and correspond with the imperative of permanently ending the war and addressing our people's grievances.
These demands include a permanent cessation of aggression and a ceasefire, as well as full withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, facilitating the return of the displaced, ensuring the flow of humanitarian and reconstruction aid, and reaching a substantial prisoner exchange agreement.
Second point
The occupation rejected the mediators’ proposal and responded with blatant aggression on Rafah and occupied the crossing. It perpetrated multiple massacres and set fire to the tents sheltering the internally displaced, leaving them to burn alive. The occupation was relentless in its pursuit of the war of starvation, employing it as a systematic policy aimed at exterminating the Palestinian people. Consequently, all of these actions resulted in the disruption of the mediators' efforts.
Third point
The movement welcomes President Biden's statements as they laid the necessary foundations for achieving an agreement encompassing a permanent ceasefire, withdrawal of the occupation army from the Gaza Strip, substantial aid inflow, the return of the displaced, reconstruction, and a captives-detainee exchange. This immediate positive stance stems from the consistency of these statements with the May 6 paper, emphasizing the crucial elements of a permanent ceasefire and complete withdrawal from the Gaza Strip.
Fourth point
When the mediators conveyed the contents of the paper mentioned by President Biden, purportedly the Israeli proposal, it became evident that it lacked the positive foundations outlined in Biden's previous statements. This disjunction between the paper and Biden's remarks sparked considerable confusion and controversy. Could President Biden's statements regarding the paper be his personal interpretations, verbal agreements with Israeli parties, or something else entirely?
After examining the Israeli paper's contents, it is evident that it fails to establish the necessary groundwork for the desired agreement. Instead of ensuring a permanent ceasefire, it only offers a temporary one. Additionally, it lacks a cohesive connection between the three specified stages.
On the contrary, the Israeli paper has destroyed the bridges that facilitate the transition of the agreement from one stage to another, aiming to disrupt the agreement's unity across all stages. Instead, it seeks to reduce the agreement to a single stage, characterized by a temporary cessation of aggression while the occupation forces remain in the Gaza Strip. In return, the occupation obtains the subset of captives it seeks, only to subsequently reestablish its genocidal campaign against our people.
Fifth point
The movement and the Resistance factions adhere to the essential principles necessary for reaching a viable agreement. They stand prepared to endorse any accord that incorporates these foundational principles, which are universally recognized standards. Any agreement lacking a clear provision for a permanent ceasefire holds no significance, nor does any agreement permitting the continued presence of occupation forces on our land. Such terms only serve the interests of the occupation.
Sixth point
The movement warns against the dangers of issuing a Security Council resolution before reaching an agreement between the parties, as well as anticipating this by formulating a draft resolution aimed at putting pressure on the movement and the Palestinian factions.
The movement reaffirms its commitment to its positive stance regarding Biden's statements, viewing them as aligned with the foundational principles it upholds. It asserts that Biden must secure the approval of the occupation government for these principles and ensure their inclusion in the agreement's text for it to be considered valid and eligible for approval, thus enabling the progression of its implementation in accordance with the agreed-upon stages.
Biden's three-phase proposal
Late last month, US President Joe Biden laid out a new proposal that involves releasing Israeli captives in exchange for a ceasefire in Gaza.
Biden claimed that this is the most effective step toward de-escalating the ongoing war, adding, "With a ceasefire, that aid could be safely and effectively distributed to all who need it."
The three phases proposed by the US president are as follows:
In phase one: A six-week ceasefire would be implemented. During this period, Israeli forces would withdraw from Gaza, and Israeli captives, including the elderly and women, would be exchanged for hundreds of Palestinian detainees. Palestinian civilians, including those in northern Gaza, would be returned, and 600 trucks daily would deliver humanitarian aid.
In phase two: Negotiations between Hamas and "Israel" would commence to establish terms for a permanent end to hostilities. Biden emphasized that the ceasefire would persist during these talks.
In phase three: A comprehensive reconstruction plan for Gaza would be initiated. Qatar has conveyed the proposal to Hamas, according to Biden. The US President also urged those in "Israel" advocating for prolonged war to reconsider their stance.
