Hamas has declared that it is prepared for a cease-fire in Gaza, barely hours after Israel’s agreement with Hezbollah terrorists in Lebanon went into effect.
The terrorist group said it was open to measures to end its 13-month battle with Israel in Palestinian territory, as senior officials praised the Israel-Hezbollah pact.
“We are committed to cooperating with any effort to reach a cease-fire in Gaza and we are interested in ending the aggression against our people,” Hamas said in a statement before reiterating its outstanding conditions.
Hamas stated that any such truce must terminate the war, withdraw Israeli soldiers from Gaza, return displaced Gazans to their homes, and facilitate a hostage-for-prisoner swap.
Hamas senior official Sami Abu Zuhri claimed the group, which began the war by murdering innocent Israelis in its brutal Oct. 7 invasion, was waiting for an agreement while still blaming Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for failing to agree to a peace settlement earlier.
“Hamas appreciates the right of Lebanon and Hezbollah to reach an agreement that protects the people of Lebanon and we hope that this agreement will pave the way to reaching an agreement that ends the war of genocide against our people in Gaza,” Abu Zuhri told Reuters.
“Hamas showed high flexibility to reach an agreement and it is still committed to that position and is interested in reaching an agreement that ends the war in Gaza,” Abu Zuhri said.
“The problem was always with Netanyahu who has always escaped from reaching an agreement.”
Netanyahu has accused Hamas of thwarting the operations on many occasions.
Following the US’s role in mediating the Israel-Hezbollah deal, President Biden stated on Tuesday that his administration was still working on a cease-fire in Gaza.
“Just as the Lebanese people deserve a future of security and prosperity, so do the people of Gaza,” the outgoing president said.
“Now Hamas has a choice to make. Their only way out is to release hostages, including American citizens, which they hold and in the process bring an end to the fighting, which would make possible a surge of humanitarian relief.”
“Imagination is more important than knowledge. For knowledge is limited, whereas imagination embraces the entire world, stimulating progress, giving birth to evolution.”