GAZA: Hamas has announced it has reached a Qatari-mediated deal to end the latest escalation of violence with Israel.
After talks with the Chairman of the Qatar Committee for the Reconstrction of Gaza Mohammed Al Emadi, “an understanding was reached to rein in the latest escalation and end (Israel)] aggression against our people”, the office of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar said on Monday. There was no immediate comment by Israel.
Al Emadi announced the success of the efforts and contacts he recently made between the parties to reach a truce agreement and stop the escalation in Gaza.
He noted the announcement of the truce agreement came after a phone call between Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs H E Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani and head of the political bureau of Hamas, Dr Ismail Haniyeh, who is currently outside Gaza.
This was in continuation of the discussions that took place between Al Emadi and the Hamas leadership in Gaza as Qatar seeks to contain the current situation and spare the people of Gaza Strip the scourge of wars and tightening the blockade.
Monday’s announcement came amid a flurry diplomatic activity from Qatar whose envoy delivered the latest tranche of $30mn in aid Gaza before holding talks with Israeli officials in Tel Aviv.
Sources close to the Qatari delegation said the Israelis told Al Emadi they were willing to resume fuel deliveries for the power plant and ease their blockade – if there was an end to the fire balloons.
The Israeli army has carried out attacks on Gaza almost daily since 6 August in what it says is a response to the airborne incendiary devices and, less frequently, rockets launched into southern Israel.
The fire balloons are widely seen as an attempt by Hamas to improve the terms of an informal truce under which Israel committed to easing its 13-year-old crippling blockade in return for calm. But so far, Israel’s response has been to tighten the blockade.
It has banned Gaza fishermen from going to sea and closed its goods crossing with the territory, prompting the closure of the Palestinian territory’s sole power plant for want of fuel.
Mediation efforts have grown more urgent in recent days as authorities in Gaza have detected the first cases of local transmission of the coronavirus. Hamas has imposed a lockdown in the coastal enclave, which is home to two million Palestinians.