The Palestinian movement Hamas is not negotiating with Washington to settle the conflict in the Gaza Strip. This was announced by an unnamed representative of the group to the TV channel “Al Arabiya“, refuting a statement by US President Donald Trump.
“Information about direct or indirect negotiations with Washington is not true“, said the channel's source from “Al Arabiya“. He noted that the movement is ready for any proposals that would allow for a permanent ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, the withdrawal of Israeli troops from the enclave and the provision of humanitarian aid.
As reported by Reuters, on September 5, Trump said that Washington was negotiating with Hamas. The US president threatened the Palestinian radicals with problems if they did not agree to release all Israeli hostages. At the same time, Trump noted that the movement had proposed several acceptable conditions for concluding an agreement on the Gaza Strip.
In March, the Israeli army resumed military operations in the strip, breaking the ceasefire established in January. During several rounds of negotiations, mediated by Qatar, Egypt and the United States, the parties to the conflict failed to determine the terms of a new agreement.
On August 8, the Israeli military-political cabinet approved a plan to take control of the entire territory of Gaza City and expand the operation into the Palestinian enclave. On August 18, Hamas responded positively to the mediators' proposal for a ceasefire, and the document was handed over to Israel. Later, the Minister of Defense of the Jewish state of Israel Katz approved the plan to capture Gaza City, and on August 21, the proposed strategy was also approved by the Prime Minister of the Jewish state, Benjamin Netanyahu.
According to the Israeli side, the radicals continue to hold 20 hostages and 28 bodies in Gaza.