Palestinian terror organization Hamas on Thursday said that it would refrain from engaging in any negotiations with Israel amidst the latter’s ongoing aggression in Rafah. However, it would agree to a “complete agreement” including an exchange of hostages and prisoners if Israel stopped the war. Talks between the two, mediated by Qatar and Egypt, have repeatedly been stalled.
Hamas’ statement comes as Israel Defence Forces (IDF) pressed with their offensive in Gaza’s Rafah Governorate, despite the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ordering Jewish forces to stop the attack. Under PM Benjamin Netanyahu’s administration, they have also seized control of a buffer zone along the Gaza Strip’s border with Egypt. This has effectively granted Israel authority over the entirety of the Palestinian territory’s land border.
More than 36,200 people have been killed in Gaza while more than 500 people have been killed in West Bank, as per Al Jazeera. The October 7 attack by Hamas resulted in the deaths of 1,139 while nearly 8,700 people were injured. At present 125 hostages remain in Hamas’ captivity, 121 were captured during the attack.