Hamas says ceasefire talks must be based on Biden plan

Last week, the leaders of the United States, Egypt and Qatar urge Israel and Hamas to meet for talks on 15 August, whether in Qatar or Doha, for finalising a Gaza ceasefire agreement and for the release of hostages.

Israel has said it will send its negotiators to attend that meeting.

Hamas initially said he was reviewing the offer, but has now hinted he may not participate if the talks are not based on the plan of US President Joe Biden.

The movement calls on mediators to present a plan for implementation of what the movement was hired on July 2nd 2024, based on the Benden vision and UN Security Council resolution”, is said in the Hamas communiqué.

“Intermediators should make the Occupator [Israel] implement this instead of looking for new round of talks, or new proposals that would cover the attack of the occupation and give more time to continue the genocide against our people”, it is said in communiqués.

President Joe Biden presented a three-stage ceasefire plan in Gaza during a speech May 31st in Washington. Since then, regional mediators have tried to lower the parties at the table for reaching a ceasefire agreement in exchange for freeing hostages, but have faced continuing obstacles.

More recently, the threat of a major war in the Middle East has also increased following the murder in Tehran of Hamas' political leader, Ismail Haniyeh, and the top military commander of Hezbollah, Faud Schookr, in Beirut.

Hamas has accused Israel of killing Hanohiah. Israel has not claimed responsibility, but it has neither denied it.

Iran and Hamas have vowed to avenge Israel for the murder of Haneyeh in Tehran.

Israel says its aim is to destroy Hamas after the October 7th attack, in which the Gaza militants stormed south of Israel and killed 1,200 people and kidnapped about 250 others.

After a round of exchanges in November, Israel says 111 hostages are also being held in Gaza, including the lifeless bodies of 39 hostages.

Israel's Gaza war has since left about 40,000 Palestinians dead and more than 91,700 others injured, according to health officials in enclaves.

More than 1.9 million of the total population of 2.3 million inhabitants of the pre-war Gaza have been forced to flee their homes, constantly moving across small territory to flee the war.