Hamas Demands Written Guarantees in Cease-Fire Talks 

Hamas insists on written guarantees during ongoing cease-fire talks, seeking assurance for long-term peace and stability. 

A Hamas political official emphasized on Friday that the Palestinian militant group is still demanding written assurances from mediators in the ongoing cease-fire talks that Israel will not resume hostilities after the initial release of Israeli hostages in Gaza.

Despite reaching a broad agreement on the deal’s framework, the primary issue remains Hamas’ insistence on a permanent cease-fire, in contrast to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s stance that any agreement should allow Israel to resume fighting until all war objectives are met.

Ahmed Abdul-Hadi, the head of Hamas’ political office in Lebanon, stated that while Hamas has shown flexibility on certain points, they continue to stress that negotiations must aim for a lasting peace, rather than the current proposal’s provision for the cease-fire to be contingent on ongoing talks.

Abdul-Hadi warned that Netanyahu could halt negotiations and restart aggression, underscoring the need for written guarantees to ensure that talks persist and the cease-fire transitions from an initial phase to a permanent one.

He refuted claims that Gaza-based Hamas leaders pressured external political figures to accept the deal due to military pressure, clarifying that Hamas does not seek to resume governance in Gaza post-war, but rather advocates for a technocratic Palestinian government.

Regarding future governance in Gaza, Abdul-Hadi emphasized that it is a Palestinian issue to be decided by the people, not a subject for current negotiations.

He mentioned an upcoming meeting between Hamas and rival Fatah in China, expressing hope for a national consensus to emerge from the discussions. The meeting, initially planned for last month, was postponed, with both sides attributing blame to each other.