Hamas ‘wont be hurried into a deal’, studying peace proposal

Hamas says it will not accept a hurried peace deal under pressure from the West and will only sign an agreement that is in the interests of Palestinians.

Ahmed Abdel Hadi says the movement is “seriously studying” the latest proposals which US foreign secretary Anthony Blinken has described as “very generous”, saying it is too early to judge the results.

He said the deal document contains some very broad phrases that could be interpreted in different ways. The deal places great influence in the hands of the negotiators – the US, Egypt and Qatar – in overseeing the implementation of the deal, and that is also making Hamas uneasy, he added.

The only actors gushing about the proposed deal’s positive outcomes were the US and “israel”, he pointed out, stressing Hamas would not give in to pressure to accept any deal.

“The popular support for the resistance cannot raise the white flag,” he said.

Regarding “israel’s” repeated threats to invade Rafah ahead (or even after) the signing of a deal, Abdel Hadi said the threats were being made to pressure the resistance.

“Many surprises will confront the Israeli prime minister if he decides to invade Rafah,” he added.

Regarding the escalating student protests at universities across the US, Abdel Hadi told Al-Mayadeen the movement was “one of the results of the Al-Aqsa flood” operation. He predicted it would spread to “all universities in the world and this is a very important development in terms of the Palestinian cause”.

Meanwhile, Hamas political bureau head Ismail Haniyeh has praised Egypt’s role in the mediation. He praised the “positive attitude of the movement towards studying the ceasefire proposal” in a phone call to the Egyptian intelligence minister General Abbas Kamel.

He told Kamel a Hamas delegation would be arriving in Egypt soon to continue the discussions to achieve “an agreement that meets the needs of the Palestinian people and stops the aggression”.