Tag: Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem

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The Palestinian group Hamas said Thursday that it is entering a national dialogue with all Palestinian factions, Anadolu agency reported. 

The announcement coincided with a meeting in Cairo between delegations from Hamas and Fatah, under Egyptian mediation, to discuss the second phase of the Gaza ceasefire agreement and the future of the enclave. 

In an interview with Anadolu, Hamas spokesperson Hazem Qassem said the movement is “heading into national dialogue with open hearts and extended hands to the Palestinian Authority and other national forces,” stressing that the authority “is one of the Palestinian institutions that cannot be bypassed.” 

Qassem urged that the authorities “align with the prevailing national consensus in Gaza and come to the dialogue with an open mind,” recognizing that “this is a time for national unity and prioritising the national interest over narrow partisan interests.”

He warned that “the current period is dangerous not only for Hamas but for the entire Palestinian people in Gaza and the West Bank.” 

The Hamas spokesperson reaffirmed the movement’s full commitment to implementing the Gaza ceasefire agreement “in all its details,” urging mediators to pressure Israel to ensure compliance. 

He said Hamas has been holding “around-the-clock discussions to complete the agreement and taking major field steps to implement what has been agreed upon.”

According to Qassem, Hamas received clear guarantees from Turkiye, Egypt, and Qatar, as well as direct assurances from the United States, that “the war has effectively ended” and that implementing the agreement’s terms “constitutes its full conclusion.”

READ: WHO: Rebuilding Gaza’s health system likely to cost 7$ billion

He added that Hamas had completed the first phase of the agreement by handing over living captives and some remains and was working to deliver the rest.

Regarding the second phase, Qassem said it “requires further discussions and clarifications with mediators,” explaining that “this stage involves broad issues and complex matters that need detailed approaches.”

He stressed that Hamas’ central objective “is to reach a complete and lasting end to the war against the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip.”

Qassem also said the movement continues to inform mediators of Israeli violations, noting that Israel has killed 90 Palestinians since the ceasefire took effect and “still keeps the Rafah crossing closed, blocking sufficient aid.”

He accused Israel of using “humanitarian conditions as a political bargaining chip,” something Israel “has practiced for years under the Gaza blockade,” and called for urgent action to allow aid into the Strip and prevent renewed starvation.

The first phase of Trump’s 20-point Gaza ceasefire deal was reached on 10 October.

Phase one includes the release of Israeli hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners. The plan also envisages the rebuilding of Gaza and the establishment of a new governing mechanism without Hamas.

Since October 2023, the Israeli genocidal war has killed over 68,200 people and injured more than 170,300, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.

READ: Turkish foreign minister, intelligence chief meet with Hamas delegation in Qatar