Hamas sets conditions for truce with Israel

The political bureau chief of Hamas says an infinite extension of a truce reached with the Israeli regime last year is possible provided that Tel Aviv meets five conditions set by the Palestinian resistance movement.

In an interview with al-Araby al-Jadid daily, which was published on Saturday, Khaled Meshaal said the Tel Aviv regime will have to meet five conditions if it seeks a permanent extension of the truce that was reached at the end of the latest Israeli war on the Palestinian enclave in 2014.

He said the demands comprise the reconstruction of the besieged Gaza Strip in the wake of the war last year; ending the Israeli blockade on the Palestinian territory; addressing the employment issues of some 50,000 individuals in Gaza; the construction of sea and air ports in the Strip; and addressing the problems of Gazan infrastructure, including water and electricity supplies, and the road and sewage systems.

He said, however, that the potential extension of the truce between Hamas and the Israeli regime will have no impact on the state of resistance in the West Bank, where resistance will continue to be a necessity in the face of such Israeli practices as jailing Palestinian activists, the Judaization of Palestinian lands and violations of al-Aqsa Mosque.

Gaza has been struggling to recover from the 50-day war Israel launched against the strip in early July last year. The offensive ended on August 26 with a truce that took effect after indirect negotiations in the Egyptian capital, Cairo.

Nearly 2,200 Palestinians, including 577 children, were killed in Israel’s 50-day onslaught. Over 11,100 others, including nearly 3,380 children, 2,088 women and 410 elderly people, were also injured.

Apart from the tremendous loss of life, the war also destroyed hundreds of homes and buildings.

Gaza has also been under an Israeli siege since 2007. The blockade has significantly affected life in the Palestinian territory.

In his Friday interview, the political bureau chief of Hamas also rejected allegations that Hamas is after establishing a state separate from the West Bank, saying the settlement of the Palestinian issue will involve all groups and factions.

Press TV’s website can also be accessed at the following alternate addresses:

www.presstv.co.uk