Palestinian resistance organisation Hamas announced on Saturday, July 5th, that it has submitted a unified response to the mediators on the Gaza ceasefire framework after consulting all resistance organisations across Gaza and the West Bank.
“As part of the intensive Palestinian national efforts led by the Hamas movement, we have conducted a wide series of communications with the leaders of Palestinian factions and forces to coordinate and consult on Hamas’s response to the framework paper for stopping the aggression on the Gaza Strip and its implementation mechanisms,” Hamas’s Head of International Relations Hussam Badran said.
“These communications witnessed a high level of practical and serious consultation between the Hamas movement and the national and Islamic factions, which resulted in a unified national consensus supporting the position of the Palestinian resistance forces,” Mr Badran highlighted.
“Following the conclusion of internal and external consultations with the factions, the movement’s response was submitted to the mediators, formulated unanimously and in a positive spirit,” the Hamas official further said.
“All Palestinian factions and forces have welcomed this unified response,” he informed.
Hamas’s response to the framework, which is discussed among its representatives, Arab mediators, the US and Israel, focuses primarily on the humanitarian crisis Tel Aviv has imposed on the people of Gaza.
According to various media reports, in Arabic and English, Hamas has demanded a return to the previous humanitarian aid distribution mechanism that Israel has since stopped.
This comes after controversies erupted over the US-sponsored and Israel-linked Gaza Humanitarian Foundation’s (GHF) aid distribution.
Over 500 Palestinians have been killed in recent weeks at the GHF’s aid distribution centres by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and private contractors.
A recent Associated Press (AP) report, which cited insider accounts, revealed how contractors are licensed to kill unarmed civilians flocking to the aid distribution centres to collect food.
Hamas has also demanded a guarantee regarding the volume of aid to be delivered to Gaza.
The organisation has reportedly demanded aid volume-related negotiations as part of the implementation mechanism for a ceasefire.
It has also demanded clarifications regarding the extent of the IDF’s withdrawal from the Gaza Strip and sought a return to the previous ceasefire plan’s return arrangements, which Israel, backed by the US, violated on March 18th.
Reportedly, Hamas has indicated demanding personal and written guarantees regarding the extension of the 60-day ceasefire to an indefinite period if a final agreement to end the war isn’t reached within two months.
Highlighting Hamas’s discussion with other resistance organisations, Mr Badran said that the collective Palestinian leadership seeks to preserve the gains of the war while pushing for an end to the “genocide”.
“These efforts come within the framework of a responsible Palestinian leadership that seeks to preserve the gains of our people and to ensure a unified Palestinian position to stop the war of genocide against our people in the Gaza Strip,” he added.
Hamas wins support on Gaza ceasefire framework
The left-wing Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) has supported Hamas on the Gaza ceasefire framework.
A source close to the PFLP’s leadership has told Al-Hadaf that the Marxist-Leninist organisation’s delegates have met with Hamas leaders to seriously discuss the draft proposal.
They offered feedback and amendments to stop the war and allow aid without obstacles.
According to the PFLP source, the suggestions and amendments were approved following their meeting.
The left-wing resistance organisation primarily focused on the choice of words for the clauses to ensure the Israeli side doesn’t exploit any loopholes in the future and resume its aggression.
Likewise, the PFLP-GC faction supported what the organisation called the “wise steps concerning the exchange deal and cessation of zionist aggression that Hamas has matured after consulting with the factions”.
The PFLP-GC affirmed that the factions emerged with an outline after several rounds of discussions, which preserves dignity, honours sacrifices, guarantees an end to the US-sponsored war, and secures withdrawal.
The organisation also cautioned against Israeli and American tricks to return to aggression.
The far-left Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine (DFLP) has also supported Hamas in its efforts to push the Gaza ceasefire framework.
The DFLP welcomed Hamas’s position on the Gaza ceasefire framework.
The Maoist resistance organisation stated that their position is “based on a deep awareness of our people’s right to stop the killing, starvation, thirst, and death machine”.
The DFLP also affirmed that its representatives held consultations with Hamas and Palestine Islamic Jihad (PIJ) in Egypt and the unified national vision for the day after the war.
Like the PFLP, the DFLP also warned against the Israeli attempts to violate the agreement.
Similarly, the Popular Resistance Committees (PRC) issued a statement hailing the “serious, responsible, and national position” carried by the Palestinian negotiating delegation, highlighting their great flexibility in reaching an agreement.
The PRC has confirmed that its leadership has also met Hamas officials. It has called on the mediators to compel Israel to accept the agreement to end the “greatest holocaust ever inflicted on our Palestinian people”.
The Ahrar Movement also issued congratulations to the Palestinian negotiators. The organisation stated that the negotiations reflected a high national responsibility, sovereign will, and sharp political acumen.
The Mujahideen Movement commended the Hamas negotiator’s position, stating that it represents both seriousness and flexibility.
They demanded that the mediators assume their responsibility in guaranteeing the ceasefire.
Meanwhile, the Fatah Al-Intifada movement congratulated Hamas.
“The Central Committee of Fatah Al-Intifada blesses the victory of the Islamic Resistance Movement Hamas in reaching a halt to the brutal zionist aggression against our people in the valiant Gaza Strip. This victory represents a great national achievement in the course of the blessed Al-Aqsa Flood battle, which is nearing two years of resistance in the face of the genocide waged by the zionist occupier, its American imperialist partner, and their NATO Western allies, in full view and hearing of the international community,” the organisation said in a statement issued on Saturday, July 5th.
“We recognise the ability, strength, and wisdom of our brothers, the leadership of the Hamas movement, in managing the political battle with full competence and national responsibility,” it added.
Fragile scope for peace
While Hamas, backed by the major resistance organisations, is making efforts to bring a ceasefire into force, to end the 21-month-long bloodshed and starvation in Gaza, Israel appears not to be in the mood to relinquish its control over the besieged strip.
Amid the ongoing negotiations, Israel has not stopped bombing Gaza. It has also attacked neighbouring Lebanon and Syria.
According to The Guardian, on Saturday night, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he would send negotiators to Qatar on Sunday for talks.
This comes after his office said that changes requested by Hamas were not acceptable.
Mr Netanyahu’s cabinet met on Saturday to discuss Tel Aviv’s strategy as the prime minister will head to the US on Monday to meet President Donald Trump.
Israeli attacks killed several Palestinians on Saturday, including 10 civilians seeking humanitarian aid, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.
On Saturday, Israel bombed Mawasi at night, killing seven. The Israelis also attacked the tent of Dr Musa Khafaja, a Palestinian doctor. Dr Khafaja and his three other family members were killed in the strike, Gaza’s Health Ministry informed.
A father-son duo from the Abu Aker family were killed in Israeli attacks.
Israeli helicopters bombed the central Gaza Strip on Saturday, killing two brothers from the Sammak family.
On Saturday afternoon, an Israeli drone hit the Al-Hajj bakery in Nusseirat, killing eight. Four others were killed in the town of Bani Suheila, and three people were killed in three different strikes in the town of Khan Younis.
Then, the Al-Zeer cafeteria in Zuweida was bombed, resulting in six more victims on Saturday.
Meanwhile, Israel also continued the demolition.
While this large-scale massacre continues in Gaza, there are reasons for the Palestinian resistance to remain wary of Israel’s possible treachery in implementing the 60-day ceasefire.
It remains to be seen after the Israelis rejected Hamas’s proposals for the Gaza ceasefire framework as unacceptable, what unfolds for the besieged and starving enclave.
