Hamas talks deal, but conditions persist

Hamas says on war anniversary it’s serious about a Gaza deal, but conditions remain

- REUTERS

Hamas said Tuesday it wants to reach a deal to end the war in Gaza based on US President ‘Trump’s plan but still has a set of demands, a statement signalling that indirect talks with Israel in Egypt could be difficult and lengthy.

Senior Hamas official Fawzi Barhoum set out Hamas's position on the second anniversary of the Palestinian militant group’s attack on Israel that triggered the Gaza war, and one day after the indirect negotiations began in Sharm el-Sheikh.

The talks appear the most promising yet for ending a war that has killed tens of thousands of Palestinians and devastated Gaza since the October 7, 2023 attack on Israel, in which 1,200 people were killed and 251 were taken back to Gaza as hostages.

But officials on all sides urged caution over the prospects for a rapid agreement, as Israelis remembered the bloodiest single day for Jews since the Holocaust and Gazans voiced hope for an end to the suffering brought by two years of war.

“The (Hamas) movement’s delegation participating in the current negotiations in Egypt is working to overcome all obstacles to reaching an agreement that meets the aspirations of our people in Gaza,” Barhoum said in a televised statement.

He said a deal must ensure an end to the war and a full Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip - conditions that Israel has never accepted. Israel, for its part wants Hamas to disarm, something the group rejects.