A senior Hamas official stated on Friday that the group is “prepared for a ceasefire” in Gaza and called on U.S. President-elect Donald Trump to pressure Israel to bring an end to the war.
“Hamas is ready to reach a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip if a ceasefire proposal is presented and on the condition that it is respected” by Israel, Hamas political bureau member Bassem Naim told AFP.
“We call on the US administration and Trump to pressure the Israeli government to end the aggression.
“Hamas informed the mediators that it is in favour of any proposal submitted to it that would lead to a definitive ceasefire and military withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, allowing the return of displaced people, a serious deal for a prisoner exchange, the entry of humanitarian aid and reconstruction,” Naim added.
The group has reiterated its longstanding demands in the ongoing ceasefire negotiations since the war began.
On the campaign trail, Trump pledged to secure peace in the Middle East and promised to provide greater support to Israel.
Naim’s statement follows Qatar’s announcement on Saturday that it had paused its role as a key mediator for a Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal until both Hamas and Israel demonstrate “seriousness” in negotiations.
Qatar, which has hosted Hamas’s political leadership since 2012 with U.S. approval, has engaged in extensive diplomacy to end the war triggered by the group’s October 7 attack on Israel last year.
The attack resulted in 1,206 deaths, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally of Israeli government figures.
In response, Israel’s military campaign has caused 43,764 deaths in Gaza, mostly civilians, according to the Hamas-run health ministry, figures considered credible by the United Nations.
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