Hamas still insisting on written guarantees in ongoing cease-fire talks

A Hamas political official said Friday that the Palestinian militant group is still insisting on written guarantees from the mediators in ongoing cease-fire negotiations that Israel will not resume the war after the first group of Israeli hostages held in Gaza are released.

While the two sides have agreed on a general framework for a deal, the main sticking point remains that Hamas wants it to result in a permanent cease-fire, while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said that any agreement “must allow Israel to return to fighting until all the objectives of the war are achieved.”

Ahmed Abdul-Hadi, the head of Hamas’ political office in Lebanon, said Hamas has been “flexible” on some points but continues to insist that “negotiations must continue to achieve a permanent ceasefire" as opposed to the wording in the current proposal, under which the cease-fire should continue as long as negotiations continue.

“Netanyahu can halt the negotiations and thereby resume the aggression,” he said.

“we want something written to ensure the continuation of negotiations so that the ceasefire remains in effect in the first phase, leading to a permanent ceasefire,” he added.

Abdul-Hadi denied reports that the group’s leadership inside Gaza had pressured political leaders outside to accept the deal on the table due to the military pressure it is facing.

He said that Hamas does not expect to resume its role as the ruling party in Gaza after the war but wants to see a Palestinian government of technocrats.

However, he said the form that future governance in the enclave should take is “a Palestinian matter that is agreed upon by the Palestinian people” and is not on the table in the current negotiations.

Abdul-Hadi said a meeting between Hamas and its main rival, Fatah, is expected to take place in China later this month, hoping that it will result in "a national consensus.”

The meeting was previously scheduled to take place last month but was postponed, with the two sides trading blame for the delay.