Hamas says ‘no point’ in ceasefire talks while Israel wages 'hunger war' on Gaza
Hamas says it will not engage in new ceasefire talks with Israel, as long as the regime continues its “hunger war” against Palestinians in Gaza.
Basem Naim, a Hamas political bureau member and former Gaza health minister, told AFP there is “no sense in engaging in talks or considering new ceasefire proposals as long as the hunger war and extermination war continue in the Gaza Strip.”
Naim urged the international community to pressure the Israeli regime to end the “crimes of hunger, thirst, and killings.”
His remarks came hours after Israel threatened that it would launch an intensified offensive on Gaza, which, according to Tel Aviv, would entail “the conquest of the Gaza Strip and the holding of the territories.”
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Monday that the new campaign will involve Israeli forces holding on to the seized populated territory and significant displacement of the population.
Nearly all of Gaza’s population of 2.3 million has been displaced, often multiple times, since the regime launched its genocidal war on the territory in October 2023.
The humanitarian situation in the besieged territory has grown increasingly dire since Israel blocked the entry of medical, fuel, and food supplies into Gaza in mid-March when it broke a two-month ceasefire agreement.
Ever since, aid organizations have repeatedly warned that the humanitarian response in Gaza was on the verge of “total collapse.”
The Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) warned this week that food supplies have now “completely run out” in both local markets and humanitarian distribution centers in Gaza.
“The population is once again at extreme risk of famine,” the PRCS said. “There is an inability to meet even the minimum daily needs of over a million displaced people.”
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) also reiterated the need for the immediate entry of humanitarian aid and warned Israel against “politicization” of the aid.
Indirect talks—brokered by Qatar and Egypt— have continued since Israel broke the ceasefire, but yielded no results.
Qatar, a key mediator in Gaza truce talks, said Tuesday that it was still pursuing efforts for a Gaza ceasefire even though Hamas said it wasn’t interested in further talks.
“Our efforts remain ongoing despite the difficulty of the situation and the continuing catastrophic humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip,” said foreign ministry spokesman Majed al-Ansari.
He said talks were focused on getting aid into Gaza and “the necessity to stop weaponizing aid, which Israel has been doing… since the first day of this war.”
