Hamas is “showing flexibility” in indirect negotiations with Israel for a possible truce/ceasefire agreement, but remains ready to continue fighting. Terrorist organization leader Ismail Haniyeh puts on his poker face, giving opening and closing signals in a televised speech on the ongoing Qatar-mediated negotiations. And even in the region's media, rumors are circulating in one direction or another about their possible outcome. Israeli Army Radio reported this morning that within Hamas, the line no to the proposal under discussion prevails once again – which, according to what was reconstructed by Reuters this would include a 40-day ceasefire during the Ramadan period and the release of 40 Israeli hostages in exchange for 400 Palestinian detainees. A leader of the movement himself, Basem Naim, said today. Al Jazeera that “the distance is still great” (between Hamas' demands and what is planned in the project, ed) and there are therefore still “many points to discuss with the mediators”. At the same time, from Egypt, another country involved in facilitating the negotiations, diplomatic sources disclosed that there would be “a preliminary agreement” to hold a meeting next Sunday in Cairo to announce the possible conclusion of a deal. Even the Qatari newspaper Al-Arabi Al-Jadid, as reported by Ansa, speaks of a general agreement found on the terms of the agreement, but of “obstacles” still to be overcome on the details. It is impossible for the moment to verify which of the opposing forces wins, the certainty remains – on the opposing side – of the convening of the Israeli war cabinet for tomorrow evening, Thursday February 29, to examine the progress of the negotiations.
Threats before Ramadan
But while Hamas remains indecipherable, or perhaps divided, over the response to the latest draft deal, its messages to the Palestinian and Islamic masses about what to do with Israel more generally are very clear. In his televised speech, Haniyeh invited Muslims in the West Bank and Jerusalem to march to Al-Aqsa Mosque on the first day of Ramadan, Sunday March 10. Furthermore, broadening the spectrum, he called the “Axis of Resistance” (which links Hamas to Iran, Hezbollah and other allied Shiite militias) and renewed its attacks on Israel. The third sacred place for Islam, the Al-Aqsa mosque stands on the Temple Mount, for the Jews the Temple Mount where the sacred sanctuary of biblical times was located. The administration of the religious site is entrusted to the care of the Wagf Islamic association which operates under Jordanian control, but Israel retains management of security. Hanyeh's two inflammatory proclamations, taken together, seem to confirm the alarm sounded yesterday by Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant: “Hamas' main objective is to take Ramadan and turn it into phase 2 of the plan started on October 7, focused on the Temple Mount and Jerusalem, a goal that will be amplified by Iran and Hezbollah. »
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