A Hamas delegation is due to meet with mediators in Egypt on Wednesday to discuss ways of advancing the fragile Gaza ceasefire, Hamas officials told AFP. “Egypt has invited Hamas and other factions to participate in talks with mediators on Wednesday... which will also include Qatari and Turkish officials,” a Hamas official said, declining to be identified as he was not authorised to speak publicly on the matter. From the Palestinian side, participants include representatives from Hamas, the Islamic Jihad Movement, the Popular Front, the Popular Resistance Committees, the National Initiative, and the Democratic Reformist Stream in Fatah led by Mohammed Dahlan. “The mediators have presented ideas for formulating a new, revised proposal acceptable to both Hamas and Israel,” the official added. He said the Hamas delegation, headed by chief negotiator Khalil Al-Hayya, as well as representatives from other Palestinian factions, was expected to arrive in Cairo starting Tuesday for the talks to be held in the Mediterranean town of Al Alamein. The official said mediators were planning a meeting between the group and Board of Peace’s high representative for Gaza, Nickolay Mladenov, in Egypt, where discussions would focus on reconstruction efforts and handing over administration of the Palestinian territory to the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza. “Hamas believes a breakthrough and progress are possible if Israel does not create new obstacles and if there is a genuine Israeli will to reach a solution,” the official added. A ceasefire was announced in the Gaza Strip on October 10 after a devastating war between Israel and Hamas that lasted more than two years. But the Palestinian territory remains gripped by daily violence meted out by Israeli troops. A transition to the second phase of the ceasefire, which was supposed to involve a gradual withdrawal of the Israeli army, has been stalled for months. One of the key sticking points to advancing the ceasefire negotiations has been the issue of Hamas' disarmament. “The resistance factions will not accept disarmament under conditions imposed by the occupation,” a second Hamas official told AFP. “Hamas is ready to positively engage with any proposal as long as it guarantees a comprehensive solution,” he said, adding that the movement has informed mediators of its openness to discuss the arms file within a comprehensive agreement that does not infringe upon the rights of the Palestinian people. A Hamas official stated that “Israel must honor all obligations under the first phase of the ceasefire agreement before discussions for the second phase begin.” He insisted on binding international guarantees from the US and mediators to compel Israel to fully implement proposed ceasefire terms. Hamas political bureau member Osama Hamdan said in statement issued on Monday that “Mladenov's attempts to link the entry of the Palestinian administrative committee into Gaza with the disarmament of the resistance amount to political extortion and violate the terms of the initial agreement.”
