Expert outlines why Hamas wants permanent ceasefire
Majid Safataj, an expert on Palestine, has said that the Hamas movement is unlikely to agree to a temporary truce for certain reasons.
He said that Israel and the U.S. are not seeking a lasting ceasefire in its war on the Gaza Strip.
“The Palestinian resistance knows that Israel is looking for another betrayal against the Palestinians, while the United States does not want a permanent ceasefire in Palestine,” Safataj said in an exclusive interview with ILNA.
Referring to Israel’s proposal for a week-long pause, the expert said, “Israel thought that it would be able to disarm Hamas and take complete control of Gaza within a week or at most a month, but the Zionist regime has now publicly fallen into a quagmire from which it cannot get out.”
He added, “It should be noted that the Palestinian resistance, especially Hamas and the residents of Gaza, have been resisting Israel's attacks for more than 70 days, and even the residents of Gaza are supporting Hamas, which has led to Israel proposing a cease-fire and exchange of prisoners.”
Safataj noted, “The fact that Israel announces that it will only agree to a one-week ceasefire and the exchange of some Hamas prisoners somehow shows that Tel Aviv is still looking to keep the possibility for continued attacks and war in Gaza. Hamas and the Palestinian resistance both publicly know that Israel is looking for another betrayal against the Palestinians, while the United States does not want a permanent ceasefire.”
He continued, “Hamas closely monitors the political and social situation in Tel Aviv and demands a permanent cease-fire, knowing full well that Israel will increase its attacks after the exchange of prisoners. That is why the authorities of this movement opposed the temporary ceasefire.”
The expert stated that Hamas is unlikely to agree to a temporary pause in the war and a captive swap deal.