The Hamas terror group issued an official statement Friday afternoon, as reported by Channel 12, stating that Israel's commitment to 'stop the killing and end the aggression' is the essential basis for implementing the agreement. The statement also stressed that the second phase of the deal is conditional on Israel fulfilling all clauses of the first phase.
The Hamas terror group issued a new statement Friday afternoon, reported by Channel 12's Sapir Lipkin at 15:28 Jerusalem, demanding that Israel commit to 'stop the killing and end the aggression' as a precondition for implementing the second phase of the agreement. The statement narrows the group's public position, focusing solely on the sequencing of the ceasefire phases without addressing the heavy weapons issue or the broader political demands—including Palestinian statehood—that Hamas had linked to the deal in earlier statements today.
This new statement is the latest in a rapid succession of Hamas declarations that began at 14:25 Jerusalem, when President Trump announced a complete disarmament deal had been reached, as reported by Channel 14. Within minutes, Hamas officials issued contradictory statements: negotiator Ghazi Hamed told Al Jazeera that the group would not take any disarmament steps before an Israeli withdrawal from Gaza. By 14:25, Hamas had agreed to discuss heavy weapons subject to a ceasefire and full withdrawal, then conditioned the second phase on Palestinian statehood, and demanded international forces and an independent Palestinian state. At 15:26 Jerusalem, The Zioneer reported a broader Hamas proclamation that formally linked disarmament to Israeli withdrawal, Palestinian statehood, and other political demands. The new statement at 15:28 appears to retreat from those maximalist positions, reiterating only the 'stop the killing' precondition.
As The Zioneer reported in a background article on June 5, a Hamas official had previously reiterated demands for a full ceasefire and Israeli withdrawal. In a July 30 article, The Zioneer noted that Hamas had reportedly agreed to all clauses of Trump's Gaza plan, but skepticism remained about implementation. The current thread shows a rapid oscillation in Hamas's public messaging, from reported agreement to renewed maximalist conditions.
It remains unclear whether this latest statement represents a genuine shift in Hamas's negotiating position or a tactical public posture. The statement does not address the heavy weapons issue or the political demands for Palestinian statehood that were central to the earlier proclamation. Israel has not yet issued an official response to this latest statement.
7 developments
- StrongHamas negotiator: No weapons deal unless Israel fulfills commitments
- DevelopingHamas spokesman Hazem Qassem welcomes Trump's statement, urges US to pressure Israel on ceasefire
- DevelopingAnalysis: Gaza deal would halt targeted killings of Hamas terrorists, allow Hamas to prepare for next round
- DevelopingReport: Hamas demands disarmament of Israeli-linked militias, defines its weapons as 'legitimate resistance tools'
Source and signal
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