Hamas official: ‘Israel’s continued massacres push us to adhere to our demands’

A senior Hamas official conveyed on Wednesday that the “intensification” of the Israeli occupation’s military operations would lead to the Palestinian movement adhering to its position in mediation efforts to reach a truce.

The occupation forces recently intensified their raids on northern Gaza, with renewed fighting in the city of Rafah, in the far south of the devastated Strip.

In other areas of the besieged Gaza Strip, Israeli strikes targeted four schools used as shelters, killing many, sparking condemnation from France and Germany, which considered the attacks “unacceptable.”

Hossam Badran, a member of the Hamas political bureau, shared that the Israeli occupation forces are increasing military operations and: “Are trying to put pressure on the negotiations by intensifying bombing and displacement operations and committing massacres.”

With diplomatic efforts hastening to reach an agreement to release the hostages and reach a truce in Gaza after more than nine months of devastating war, Badran considered that the occupation government was trying to push Hamas to concede.

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Badran believed that the occupation government: “Hopes that the resistance will concede its legitimate demands during the negotiations,” including a complete ceasefire and the complete withdrawal of the Israeli occupation forces from Gaza.

However, he stressed that: “The continuation of the massacres forces us to adhere to our demands.”

On Sunday, a Hamas official, asking to remain anonymous, confirmed that the movement is ready to discuss a hostage release deal with Israel even without a “complete” ceasefire.

However, Badran added: “We cannot be certain how far the negotiations can go, despite the flexibility we are showing.”

Truce negotiations, mediated by Qatar and Egypt with US support, are scheduled to resume in Doha on Wednesday.

On Monday, Head of Hamas’s political bureau Ismail Haniyeh warned that the recent Israeli attack on Gaza City and Rafah threatens to take the negotiating process back to square one.