Leader of the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas), Sami Abu Zuhri, considered on Tuesday that there was “no meaning” to concluding any agreement with Israel unless it adheres to a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, stressing that “the prisoners of the occupation will not see the light until they adhere to the conditions of resistance.”
Abu Zuhri denounced – during a press conference with leaders of Palestinian factions in the Tunisian capital, which he has been visiting since Friday – “Why do we even go to negotiations and sign an agreement as long as the occupation does not accept to stop the aggression against our Palestinian people?”
He stressed that “the prisoners of the occupation will remain with the resistance until it adheres to its conditions, foremost of which is stopping the aggression against Gaza and paying the benefits, which certainly include the Palestinian prisoners whose release we demand, and according to the standards that we specify.”
Abu Zuhri pointed out that “the occupation is the one obstructing and obstructing reaching an agreement, and the whole world has watched how the resistance accepted the paper presented by the mediators… while the occupation did not accept it, and attempted to blow up the situation by attacking the city of Rafah,” south of the Gaza Strip.
He stressed that the attack on Rafah “will not push the factions to surrender. We are immune to pressure, and the American administration must reevaluate its positions.”
Tel Aviv estimates that there are about 134 Israeli prisoners in Gaza, while Hamas announced that 71 of them were killed in random Israeli air strikes on various areas of the Strip.
Israeli escalation
During the month of May, the Israeli army escalated its war on Gaza, including launching a military operation in Rafah, controlling the Palestinian side of the Rafah land crossing, and preventing the entry of relief aid through it.
This Israeli escalation comes despite Hamas announcing, on May 6, its acceptance of the Egyptian-Qatari proposal for a ceasefire and prisoner exchange. However, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed that the movement’s position is “far from the necessary requirements” of Tel Aviv.
In response to what Hamas considered Netanyahu’s “evasion” of reaching an agreement to stop the war, it announced on May 10 the start of consultations with Palestinian faction leaders in order to “reconsider the negotiation strategy” with Israel.