The Palestinian movement Hamas declared on Friday its full support for the Palestinian delegation participating in indirect ceasefire negotiations with Israel, while simultaneously affirming its readiness for a long-term war of attrition if talks fail.
In a statement issued by its military spokesperson Abu Ubaida, Hamas said it is “closely monitoring” the ongoing negotiations and hopes the current round will lead to a comprehensive agreement that ends the war, secures the withdrawal of Israeli forces, and ensures the delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza.
However, Abu Ubaida warned that if Israel continues to stall or rejects the terms — as Hamas alleges it has done in past rounds — then the movement will not return to partial deals, including the so-called “10 prisoner proposal”, which has been a point of contention in previous talks.
According to Hamas, more than four months into the resumption of the war, it has inflicted heavy losses on Israeli forces, claiming hundreds of soldiers have been killed or injured. The group also disclosed that it has made multiple attempts in recent weeks to capture Israeli soldiers in Gaza.
“If the occupation government insists on continuing this war of extermination, it should prepare for more funerals of its soldiers and officers,” Abu Ubaida stated.
Hamas accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of rejecting a Hamas offer for a comprehensive prisoner exchange deal that would see all captives released in a single phase, suggesting that the Israeli government is uninterested in recovering its soldiers held by Hamas.
The movement strongly denounced Israel's ongoing military campaign, condemning what it called the systematic targeting of civilians, the destruction of residential areas, and the continued siege on Gaza for the past 21 months.
Hamas further accused the Israeli government of “torturing innocent people,” publicly advocating for the displacement of the Palestinian population, and presenting what it described as “Nazi-style detention camps” disguised as humanitarian shelters.
The statement comes amid renewed negotiations to revive a ceasefire agreement brokered earlier this year by Egypt, Qatar, and the United States, which came into effect on January 19, 2025. That agreement included a three-phase plan involving ceasefire enforcement, prisoner exchanges, and humanitarian relief.
The first phase, lasting 42 days included a partial Israeli military withdrawal from densely populated areas, the exchange of prisoners and detainees, the return of internally displaced Palestinians to their homes, and increased humanitarian aid into Gaza, in addition to medical evacuations for the wounded and ill.
However, since March 2, the agreement has stalled, with Israel closing border crossings, blocking fuel and shelter supplies, and resuming airstrikes on March 18. Israeli ground troops also re-entered areas from which they had previously withdrawn.
While aid delivery resumed in May under a new Israeli-American mechanism, this was done without the approval of UNRWA, which has criticized the arrangement for violating established international aid protocols.
The second phase of the truce, meant to stabilize the ceasefire and secure further prisoner releases, remains on hold, with negotiations continuing but no permanent ceasefire yet secured.
Hamas’s statement underscores the growing pressure on all parties to reach a sustainable solution as Gaza continues to suffer, hostilities escalate, and the humanitarian crisis deepens.
As indirect talks continue, Hamas’s dual message — of support for diplomacy and preparedness for prolonged resistance — reflects the fragile nature of the current negotiations and the high stakes for both sides.
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