Hamas Official Ghazi Hamad On Ceasefire Talks: The Ball Is In The Israelis' Court, They Need To Respond To The Egyptian-Qatari Proposal, Which Hamas Has Accepted; President Abbas Is An Obstacle To National Unity

Ghazi Hamad, a member of Hamas's political bureau and its negotiations team spoke about ceasefire talks with Israel in a June 2, 2024 interview with MBC Misr TV (Egypt). He said that Hamas's goal in the talks was to stop the war and achieve a permanent ceasefire, while Israel was seeking a prisoner exchange deal. Hamad detailed the articles of the Egyptian-Qatari draft agreement that Hamas has agreed to, which were a permanent ceasefire, complete Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, the return of displaced Gazans, reconstruction and aid, and a prisoner exchange deal. He said that "Biden spoke about a large part of what appeared in the draft." Hamad added that the ball is in Israel's court, and the Israelis must present their response to the Egyptian-Qatari proposal. He said that Hamas does not insist on ruling Gaza after the war and that it wants a "national agreement government, rather than a Vichy-like government that would serve the occupation." However, Hamad claimed that Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas has refused this and that he is an obstacle to Palestinian national unity. Hamad stated that now even the Americans are convinced that it is impossible to defeat Hamas.

Ghazi Hamad: "Our first and foremost goal was to stop the war. In return, the Israelis would say that this is a prisoner exchange deal. Why did the negotiations take so long? Because they always refused to talk about a permanent ceasefire. They wanted to turn the Gaza Strip into something like the West Bank, where they can raid Jenin, Tulkarm, and Nablus, whenever they want carry out operations, and kill whoever they want. Therefore, we took a very powerful and steadfast position, and we managed to make it a 'permanent ceasefire.' In these words.

[…]

"The articles [in Biden's speech] appear in the draft we accepted. These articles are clear. The [draft] talks about a permanent ceasefire, in the sense that it would lead to an end to the war and aggression against the Gaza Strip. It talks about a complete withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, in the second stage. It talks about the unconditional return of the displaced to where they live. Then it talks about the aid and the reconstruction, and then, after that, about the prisoner exchange deal. This will require a decisive and clear position by the Israeli side. They need to accept what was agreed upon on May 6…"

Interviewer: "Let me ask you: is [Biden's proposal] more or less the same as the Egyptian draft?"

Hamad: "This is the draft of the Qatari and Egyptian mediators, on which we agreed. Biden spoke about a large part of what appeared in that draft. This is why the Israelis were shocked that he proposed a large part of what appeared in the draft that was agreed upon by the mediators."

[…]

Interviewer: "You don't have a problem with Biden's draft?"

Hamad: "With the draft we accepted, which includes or incorporates what Biden said…"

[…]

Interviewer: "Are you willing to give up the rule in Gaza?"

Hamad: "Let me be clear, we do not insist on ruling Gaza. All we care about in this regard is that the government would be a national agreement government, rather than a Vichy-like government that would serve the occupation.

[…]

"We have suggested this to President Mahmoud Abbas by various means, but unfortunately, he has not cooperated positively with this initiative."

Interviewer: "But Biden's position is important. He said that there is no place for Hamas and that's it."

Hamad: "He can talk as much as he likes.

[…]

"I'd like to be clear on that. The obstacle to this has been President Mahmoud Abbas. President Abbas thwarted all the attempts to reach national unity. I do not want to get into…"

Interviewer: "Dr. Ghazi, nobody wants Hamas in the future. If you look at their positions, nobody wants you."

Hamad: "Who doesn't [want us]?"

Interviewer: "The Americans don't want you. The Israelis don't want you. The Palestinians don't want you."

Hamad: "No the Palestinians…"

Interviewer: "I'm talking about the Palestinian Authority."

[…]

Hamad: "Some people expected Hamas to fall apart in this war and come to an end. But let me tell you that even the Americans are now convinced that defeating Hamas has become impossible."

[…]

Interviewer: "The claims by CNN about the role played by Egypt, and the claims that at the last moment, the Egyptians changed the agreement, and took it to Hamas…"

Hamad: "These are all distortions and nonsense.

[…]

"Now the ball is not in Hamas's court. It is clearly in the Israeli court…"

Interviewer: "But the Israelis say that they are waiting for Hamas's response…"

Hamad: "No. So far Israel has not presented its position. Yesterday, one day after Biden's speech, Netanyahu said: 'We will continue the war until we annihilate Hamas.'

[…]

"We in Hamas have given our position to the mediators very clearly, on May 6. After the meeting with Abbas Kamel and with our Qatari brothers – they became completely convinced that what Hamas offered was logical and reasonable, and would lead to an agreement."