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An official from the Palestinian Islamist organisation, Hamas, stated Wednesday that, despite Israel’s most intensive shelling of Gaza since a truce on January 19, the organisation has not closed the door to negotiations.
Taher al-Nunu told AFP over the phone from Cairo that “Hamas has not closed the door on negotiations, but we insist there is no need for new agreements.” He also demanded that Israel be compelled to carry out the truce.
“There is no need for new agreements in light of the existing agreement signed by all parties,” he said.
The ceasefire agreement, which was draughted during the administration of former US President Joe Biden, called for the start of a second phase of the truce in early March.
The deal called for the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza and the implementation of a longer-term ceasefire in a subsequent phase.
“We have no conditions, but we demand that the occupation be compelled to immediately halt its aggression and war of extermination, and begin the second phase of negotiations,” Nunu stated.
He accused Israel of “violating the ceasefire agreement it signed” and urged the international community to “take urgent action” to end the war.
Israel unleashed the largest and deadliest round of airstrikes since the truce began on Tuesday, determined to pressure Hamas into agreeing to the release of more hostages.
On October 7, 2023, Hamas launched an unprecedented attack on Israel, sparking a war that lasted more than 15 months before the truce agreement mediated by Qatar, the United States, and Egypt came into effect.
Over 400 Palestinians were killed by Israel’s strikes on Tuesday, making it one of the worst days in Gaza’s history, according to the health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza.
Thirteen people have been killed by fresh Israeli strikes on Gaza since midnight, according to the territory’s civil defence organisation on Wednesday.
