Hamas has rejected Israel’s proposal to extend the first phase of the ceasefire in Gaza, calling on the international community to pressure the occupying regime to proceed to the second phase of the deal as originally planned.
Spokesman of the Palestine resistance movement Hazem Qassem made the remarks in an interview with Al Araby television on Saturday, on the day the first stage of the deal was set to expire.
"Extending the first phase of the deal in the form proposed by Israel is unacceptable” to the resistance group, he said, adding that the occupying regime bears full responsibility for the failure to begin negotiations on the second phase of the Gaza ceasefire, Press TV reported.
He also noted that Israel’s talk of extending the first phase aims to recover the remaining captives while potentially resuming the war on Gaza.
Qassem went on to say that the Israeli regime is evading its commitment to ending the war and fully withdrawing from Gaza, adding that it “is trying to reset matters to square one by shuffling the cards with its proposal to extend the first phase.”
The spokesman further said there are no current talks for a second ceasefire phase in Gaza with the Hamas, stressing that talks must begin on the next phase aimed at securing a permanent truce.
He also urged mediators and guarantor states to compel the Israeli regime to adhere to the agreement in all its stages and immediately enter the second phase of it without any hesitation.
bd-pratidin/GR
