The Palestinian movement Hamas stated on Saturday that remarks made by former U.S. President Donald Trump and his Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff—claiming that Hamas rejected a ceasefire agreement in Gaza—"contradict the assessments of mediators and do not align with the actual progress of the negotiation process."
اضافة اعلان
In a statement issued by senior Hamas official Izzat al-Risheq, the movement expressed surprise at the statements made by Trump and Witkoff.
On Friday, Trump claimed that Hamas "was never really interested in a deal," a day after U.S. and Israeli delegations withdrew from the Doha negotiations regarding a prisoner exchange and ceasefire in Gaza.
On Thursday night, Witkoff alleged that Hamas’s latest response to the ceasefire proposal demonstrated its "lack of seriousness" about reaching an agreement.
However, Egypt and Qatar issued a joint statement on Friday, clarifying that the suspension of talks was for consultation purposes before resuming discussions—something considered normal given the complexity of the negotiations between Israel and Hamas.
Al-Risheq noted that the remarks by Trump and Witkoff came at a time when mediating parties, especially Qatar and Egypt, were "expressing satisfaction and appreciation for our serious and constructive stance."
He stressed that the U.S. statements "ignore the true obstacle to all agreements: the government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, which continuously places obstacles, stalls, and evades commitments."
He affirmed that Hamas has approached the negotiations "with national responsibility and high flexibility from the beginning," aiming to reach a comprehensive agreement that halts the aggression and alleviates the suffering of the people in Gaza.
Al-Risheq explained that the movement’s recent response to the ceasefire proposal presented by mediators came "after extensive national consultations with Palestinian factions, mediators, and friendly countries."
He added: "We responded positively and flexibly to all proposed comments within the framework of Witkoff’s own document, while emphasizing the need for clarity in the terms—especially regarding the humanitarian aspect—and for guarantees of a steady and large-scale flow of aid to be distributed through the United Nations and its accredited agencies, without interference from the occupation."
He also noted that Hamas, in its response, sought to "reduce the depth of buffer zones where Israeli forces would remain for 60 days, and to avoid densely populated areas to allow the return of most displaced residents."
Al-Risheq called on the U.S. administration to stop "absolving the occupation and providing it with political and military cover to continue its genocide and starvation campaign against more than two million people in Gaza."
He also urged Washington to play a genuine role in "pressuring the Israeli government to engage seriously in reaching an agreement that ends the aggression and achieves a prisoner exchange deal."
In the statement, Al-Risheq rejected U.S. accusations that Hamas had stolen aid, describing them as "false and baseless."
Following the remarks by Trump and Witkoff, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated on X (formerly Twitter) that Israel is discussing "alternatives" with the United States for retrieving Israeli hostages from Gaza and ending Hamas's rule.
Netanyahu did not specify what those alternatives are, while Israeli opposition figures and families of the hostages continue to insist that the only viable solution is an agreement with Hamas.
This comes as Hamas has repeatedly expressed its readiness to release all Israeli prisoners "in one batch" in exchange for an end to the genocide and the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza.
Earlier today, Palestinian political analysts told Anadolu Agency that Witkoff’s remarks about withdrawing the U.S. delegation from Doha constitute political pressure and a media maneuver aimed at influencing the ongoing negotiations.
Since July 6, indirect negotiations between Hamas and Israel have been taking place in Doha, mediated by Qatar and Egypt and supported by the United States, with the goal of reaching a ceasefire and prisoner exchange deal.
Since October 7, 2023, Israel has waged a campaign of genocide in Gaza—characterized by killing, starvation, destruction, and forced displacement—ignoring all international appeals and defying orders from the International Court of Justice to cease its actions.
This campaign, backed by the United States, has resulted in over 203,000 Palestinian casualties (killed and wounded), most of them children and women, with over 9,000 missing, hundreds of thousands displaced, and a famine that has claimed many lives. – (Anadolu)
