Hamas rejects Israeli threats, asserts negotiations only way to save captives’ lives

The Palestinian resistance movement Hamas says Israel’s threats to restart war on the Gaza Strip are futile, saying the ceasefire talks are the only way for Israel to save the lives of its captives.

In a statement on Monday, Hamas said Israel’s prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu “is obstructing the implementation of the agreement for purely personal and partisan reasons, and the last thing he cares about is the release of the captives and the feelings of their families.”

Hamas reiterated its full commitment to the implementation of the agreement, expressing its readiness for the immediate start of the ceasefire’s second-phase talks.

Meanwhile, the movement said the Israeli regime “continues to violate the agreement and refuses to start its second phase”, adding this “procrastination” will “increase its isolation and expose the falsity of its narrative to the world.”

Hamas pointed out that the truce deal was brokered by international mediators and witnessed by the world, which requires obligating the regime to implement the agreement as the only way to recover the captives.

Earlier in the day, Hamas spokesman Abdul Latif al-Qanou said the group showed flexibility in recent talks with Egyptian and Qatar mediators as well as US President Donald Trump's envoy in Doha, and is awaiting the outcome of their negotiations with Israel.

"We have dealt flexibly with the efforts of the mediators and Trump's envoy, and we await the results of the expected negotiations and obligating the occupation to abide by the agreement and move to the second stage," Qanou said.

He added that the Doha talks are “based on ending the war, [Israel’s] withdrawal, and the reconstruction” of the Gaza Strip.

Referring to Israel’s tightening of the siege on Gaza, closure of the crossings and stoppage of humanitarian aid deliveries to Palestinians, Qanou said the measures are aimed at forcing the Palestinians to leave, but he said “this is just a confused dream.”

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The spokesman added that Israel's talk about plans to resume the war and its decision to cut off electricity, in place since October 7, 2023, are “options that have failed, and pose a threat to its captives, whom it will not secure their release, except through negotiations."

Israel launched the campaign of genocide in Gaza on October 7, 2023. It has killed more than 48,400 Palestinians there so far.

In January, the Israeli regime was forced to agree to a ceasefire deal with Hamas given the regime’s failure to achieve any of its objectives, including the “elimination” of the Palestinian resistance movement or the release of captives.

During the first phase of the deal, Hamas exchanged 33 Israeli captives and five Thais for some 2,000 Palestinians.

The 42-day stage of the truce, which was marred by repeated Israeli violations, expired on March 1, with Israel refraining from stepping into talks for the second stage of the agreement.

Hamas has insisted on proceeding to negotiations on a permanent ceasefire before agreeing to any further releases of Israeli captives.

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