Hamas Accepts Truce after Offering Conditions: Palestinian Figure
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – The Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement, Hamas, had imposed a series of conditions before agreeing to a 72-hour cease-fire, a senior Hamas leader announced.
Ismail Radwan was quoted by the Palestinian Information Center as saying on Tuesday that Hamas agreed to the 72-hour cease-fire after the Zionist regime of Israel accepted three pre-conditions offered by the resistance movement.
As regards the details of Hamas conditions, Radwan said that conditions included "withdrawing (Israeli forces) from the occupied territories along Gaza border, halting Israeli warplanes' flight over the Gaza Strip and reopening of all border-crossings in a bid to allow the delivery of medicine and food."
Only after the three conditions were agreed by the Zionist enemy, Hamas accepted the Egyptian-proposed cease-fire, Radwan added.
The Hamas figure also emphasized that the talks are still underway to reach a final agreement.
Israeli ground forces were to completely withdraw from the Gaza Strip as the cease-fire went into force at 8 am (0500 GMT) on Tuesday, according to an Israeli military spokesman.
During the 72-hour truce, Israel and Hamas are to hold indirect talks in Cairo on a broader deal that would prevent future cross-border violence.
Previous international attempts to broker a temporary halt in the fighting had failed.
The war has claimed nearly 1,900 Palestinian lives, most of them civilians. It has also left 67 Israelis dead, all but three of them soldiers.
