Hamas says open to agreements on permanent ceasefire in Gaza

Palestinian militant movement Hamas has expressed its openness to any agreements or ideas for establishing a permanent ceasefire in the Gaza Strip. Sami Abu Zuhri, a senior Hamas official, said in a televised speech on Tuesday that the movement is open to any agreements or ideas that would end the suffering of people in Gaza and establish a permanent ceasefire, Xinhua news agency reported.

Abu Zuhri added that the agreements or ideas should include the withdrawal of the Israeli army from the entire Gaza Strip, a lifting of the blockade, and the provision of relief, support, and shelter for the population, as well as reconstruction and a serious prisoner swap deal. He also said the movement has responded to mediators' requests to discuss new proposals regarding a ceasefire and prisoner exchange.

The Hamas official noted that his group has already held some meetings on this topic and that additional meetings will follow. On Sunday, Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi announced a proposal for a two-day ceasefire in Gaza to exchange four Israeli hostages for Palestinian prisoners, with plans for negotiations within ten days to work toward a permanent truce.

Sisi's announcement came as efforts continue to resume Gaza ceasefire negotiations. Recently, a Hamas delegation discussed "ways to overcome obstacles" blocking the truce in Cairo.

Since the outbreak of the conflict between Hamas and Israel in October last year, Egypt, Qatar, and the United States have been working to mediate a ceasefire in Gaza. Several rounds of talks in this regard have been held in Doha and Cairo over the past months but failed to produce any serious agreements to end the year-long conflict.

On Tuesday, the Egyptian foreign ministry said in a statement that Egyptian foreign minister Badr Abdelatty and Qatari Prime Minister and foreign minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani discussed efforts to end conflicts in the Gaza Strip and Lebanon.

In a phone conversation, Abdelatty and Al Thani touched upon their countries' joint efforts to facilitate an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and secure delivery of humanitarian aid to the war-torn territory. The two ministers also discussed the latest developments of the conflict in Lebanon, stressing the importance of reaching a rapid ceasefire while providing urgent humanitarian aid to the Lebanese people.

In addition, they underscored efforts to prevent the expansion of ongoing conflicts in the region, Xinhua news agency reports quoting the statement.