Hamas calls for implementation plan over previous talks on Gaza ceasefire

Gaza, Aug 12 (IANS) Hamas has called on mediators of the Gaza ceasefire to put forward a plan to implement what they had approved before instead of going to more rounds of negotiations or introducing new proposals.

Since the beginning of the Gaza conflict, Hamas has been “keen to make the efforts of the mediators in Egypt and Qatar successful to reach a ceasefire agreement and end the war against Gaza people, and it has confirmed its support for any effort to achieve a halt to the war”, the group was quoted by Xinhua news agency as saying on Sunday.Hamas has engaged in several rounds of negotiations and has provided all the “necessary flexibility and positivity” in order to achieve the goals and interests of the Gaza people, it said in a statement.Although Hamas and the mediators are aware of the “true intentions and positions of Israel, the movement responded to the last agreement in early July, but Israel confronted it with new conditions that were not proposed throughout the negotiation process and went on to escalate its war on Gaza”, the statement added.In light of this, and out of “concern and responsibility towards Gaza people and their interests, the movement calls on the mediators to submit a plan to implement what they presented to the movement before and to oblige Israel to do so”, it said.On August 8, the leaders of Egypt, Qatar, and the US urged Israel and Hamas not to waste more time to finalise a ceasefire agreement and resume talks.The three countries invited Israel and Hamas “to resume urgent discussion on Thursday, August 15, in Doha or Cairo to close all remaining gaps and commence implementation of the deal without further delay”, according to a joint statement released by the Egyptian presidency.–IANSint/sha