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Israeli-Palestinian conflict

Hamas not to make any concessions on Israeli troops’ withdrawal from Gaza

Izzat al-Rishq noted that Israel’s attempts to release its hostages held by radicals in the Gaza Strip have failed and "there is no alternative to a real deal on this matter with Palestinian groups"

CAIRO, April 15. /TASS/. Hamas is not going to make any concessions to Israel in the Gaza ceasefire and will not drop its demand for a complete withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Gaza Strip, Hamas spokesman Izzat al-Rishq said.

"A complete ceasefire is the only guarantee of the cessation of bloodshed and massacre of the Palestinian people," Hamas quoted him as saying on its Telegram channel.

According to the Hamas official, the movement "will not make any concessions on the matter of the complete withdrawal [of Israel troops] from Gaza and the safe return of displaced persons" to the enclave’s northern areas.

He noted that Israel’s attempts to release its hostages held by radicals in the Gaza Strip have failed and "there is no alternative to a real deal on this matter with Palestinian groups," while Israel wants to reach a limited agreement on hostage release and resume "the war and genocide" after the captives are released.

Tensions flared up again in the Middle East on October 7 after militants from the Gaza Strip-based radical Palestinian group Hamas launched a surprise incursion on Israeli territory, killing many Israeli kibbutz residents living near the Gaza border and abducting more than 240 Israelis, including women, children and the elderly. Israel declared a total blockade of the Gaza Strip and launched bombardments of the enclave and some areas in Lebanon and Syria, as well as a ground operation against Hamas in the Gaza Strip. Clashes are also reported in the West Bank.

In late November 2023, Hamas announced an agreement with Israel, which was brokered by Egypt and Qatar, on a four-day humanitarian truce in the Gaza Strip, which took effect on November 24. The sides extended the ceasefire several times but on the morning of December 1 the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said that Hamas had violated the truce in Gaza and opened fire on Israeli territory, thus prompting the IDF to resume combat operations in the Gaza Strip. According to Israel, as many as 110 hostages were released during the ceasefire period.

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Israeli-Palestinian conflict

Israeli-Palestinian conflict

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