Hamas has rejected Israel’s offer for an interim truce, Gaza’s chief Khalil Al-Hayya has said in a televised speech.
Instead, it was wants a comprehensive package deal which involves swapping all Israeli hostages for Palestinians jailed in Israel, as well as a reconstruction of Gaza.
There are 59 hostages, 35 of which are believed dead.
Israel will probably not accept, and the devastation will likely rage on.
“Netanyahu and his government use partial agreements as a cover for their political agenda, which is based on continuing the war of extermination and starvation, even if the price is sacrificing all his prisoners (hostages)”, says Hayya in the speech. He also said that the conditions for truce proposed by Israel were impossible.
The US lashed out in response:
“Hamas’s comments demonstrate they are not interested in peace but perpetual violence. The terms made by the Trump Administration have not changed: release the hostages or face hell,” responded National Security Council spokesperson James Hewitt.
Egypt has been slow-going in meditated the ceasefire agreement that fell apart in March, while rancor is still fiery between Israel and Palestine. In that ceasefire, Hamas actually released 38 hostages, but Israel attacked again in March, and has stated its intention to carry on until the remaining 59 hostages are freed and Gaza is demilitarized.
Hamas, in its characteristically terrifying style,released a video directed towards hostages’ families saying that its “children will return in black coffins with their bodies torn apart from shrapnel from your army.”
This came after Israel decimated at least 32 Palestinians, including women and children.
