Hamas, Islamic Jihad: Ceasefire must end Israel's aggression completely

The Palestinians resistance groups Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad have offered their official response to a UN-backed ceasefire proposal to mediators Qatar and Egypt.

In a joint statement the Palestinian groups said on Tuesday that their priorities are a complete end to the ongoing Israeli aggression and the interests of the Palestinians in Gaza.

“A joint delegation from Hamas and Islamic Jihad delivered the response of the resistance factions this evening to the Qatari brothers during a meeting with the Qatari Prime Minister, and the response was also sent to the Egyptian brothers,” the statement said.

According to the Palestinians sources, the resistance groups have offered some amendments to the Israeli proposal, including a timeline for a permanent ceasefire and the complete withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza.

“The response prioritizes the interests of our Palestinian people and the necessity of completely halting the ongoing aggression against the Gaza Strip,” the joint Hamas and Islamic Jihad statement noted.

“The Palestinian delegation expressed its readiness to engage positively to reach an agreement that ends this war against our people, based on a sense of national responsibility,” it added.

Qatar and Egypt confirmed that they have received the response and said mediators will study it and coordinate with the relative parties regarding the next steps.

“The two sides confirm that their joint mediation efforts with the United States of America will continue until an agreement is reached, as the mediators will study the response and coordinate with the parties concerned regarding the next steps,” read the Qatari and Egyptian statement on Facebook.

On Monday the US-drafted Gaza truce plan was adopted by the UN Security Council.

Fourteen members of the Security Council voted in favor of the proposal on Gaza ceasefire. Russia abstained.

The three-phase plan envisages the complete withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza, the exchange of prisoners and the reconstruction of the territory.

Hamas said in an earlier statement on Tuesday that it endorses the resolution and is ready to cooperate with mediators to enter more indirect negotiations over the implementation of the resolution.

'US evaluating Hamas response to ceasefire deal'

White House spokesperson John Kirby said on Tuesday that the US has received Hamas’s formal reply to the ceasefire proposal sent to Qatari and Egyptian mediators.

Kirby told reporters that it was helpful to have a response from Hamas and that US officials are currently evaluating it.

Hamas accepts UN Security Council ceasefire resolution: Official

They want a permanent ceasefire in Gaza and the complete withdrawal of Israeli forces.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has reaffirmed his commitment to a ceasefire.

Israel has failed to abide by previous UN ceasefire resolutions, including most recently in March.

The regime has also not complied with the ruling of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to cease its genocidal actions in Gaza and “immediately halt” its operations in the southernmost city of Rafah.

At least 37,124 Palestinians, most of them women and children, have been killed in Israeli attacks across the Gaza Strip over the past eight months during the regime's genocidal war.

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