Hamas deems the Rafah invasion an obstacle to Gaza ceasefire talks

Hamas declared on Thursday that the "Rafah incursion" aims to obstruct negotiations aimed at reaching a ceasefire agreement and facilitating captive exchange in the Gaza Strip, announcing that its negotiating delegation has departed Cairo.

A member of Hamas' political bureau, Izzat al-Risheq, stated in a release that "Israel's incursion into Rafah and the crossing's occupation aims to impede the efforts of mediators, escalate aggression, and wage a war of extermination."

The statement also announced that "our delegation left Cairo a short while ago en route to Doha," following the resumption of indirect talks between the conflict parties through the mediation of Egypt, Qatar, and the United States in the Egyptian capital.

"We affirm in the Hamas movement our commitment and adherence to our position of accepting the proposal presented by the mediators."

Earlier on Monday, Hamas had agreed to a ceasefire proposal put forth by the mediators, just hours before Israeli forces entered the Rafah crossing.

However, Israel stated that this proposal was "far from its demands" and reiterated its opposition to a permanent ceasefire as long as Hamas, which has been in power in the Gaza Strip since 2007, has not been "defeated," considering it a "terrorist organization" alongside the United States and the European Union.

AFP