![Members of the Al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas in Khan Yunis, Gaza on February 20, 2025. [Ali Jadallah - Anadolu Agency]](https://i0.wp.com/www.middleeastmonitor.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/AA-20250220-37110050-37110023-HAMAS_HANDS_OVER_BODIES_OF_4_ISRAELI_CAPTIVES_UNDER_GAZA_CEASEFIRE_DEAL.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1)
Hamas said yesterday that it is ready for serious negotiations to end the ongoing Israeli assault on the Gaza Strip, Anadolu reported.
Hamas leader Mahmoud Mardawi said the Palestinians have engaged responsibly and seriously with all ceasefire proposals in Gaza.
“Israel backtracked on agreements, broke promises to mediators, and resumed its campaign of killing and escalation,” he added in a statement.
Mardawi stressed that Israel’s actions present a test for the global community.
“Either the international community upholds international law and justice, or it continues its double standards, which endanger not only Palestine but the entire region,” he said.
READ: Israel bombs tent of Hamas spokesperson in Gaza
For the past 18 months, Hamas had participated in indirect negotiations with Israel with Qatari, Egyptian, and US mediation. While some agreements were reached, Tel Aviv repeatedly violated them, preventing a final resolution.
Meanwhile, Egyptian state media reported that a security delegation travelled to Qatar to continue negotiations aimed at releasing detainees and captives as part of an interim effort to reduce Israel’s bombing of Gaza.
On Wednesday, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi emphasized that Egypt is “steadily working to secure a ceasefire in Gaza and to implement its subsequent phases”, calling for mobilising efforts “to stop the bloodshed and restore calm and stability to the region”.
The Israeli army launched a surprise aerial campaign on the Gaza Strip on 18 March, killing 855 people, injuring nearly 1,900 others, and shattering a ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement that took hold in January.