Gaza | Arab Canada News

Mahmoud Mardawi, a leader in the "Hamas" movement, revealed the reasons behind the collapse of the recent ceasefire negotiations with Israel, accusing the occupation and the American mediator of thwarting efforts, and presenting proposals that "do not guarantee any actual commitment to stopping the war or ending the humanitarian suffering in Gaza."

In a lengthy statement published through the "X" platform, Mardawi explained that the movement had shown preliminary approval of a memorandum of understanding that had been negotiated with the American envoy, but it rejected accepting it in its final form after it turned into a "non-amendable document," despite containing what he described as "catastrophic gaps."

Key Observations of "Hamas" on the Negotiation Paper

Mardawi listed four main points he considered the essence of the flaws in the American-Israeli proposal:

Lack of withdrawal guarantees: The paper did not stipulate a genuine withdrawal of Israeli forces from the targeted areas.

No comprehensive halt to the war: It did not include any commitment to stop military operations at any stage of execution.

No guarantee for the flow of aid: There was no clear and sustainable mechanism for delivering humanitarian aid.

Post-prisoner handover gap: The paper did not place any Israeli commitment after the seventh day, which is the supposed deadline for the handover of prisoners, leaving what follows "hostage to unguaranteed Israeli estimates and intentions," according to Mardawi.

Mardawi described this by saying: "In clearer terms: take what we have, and we will see later if we will meet our commitments."

Hamas's Response and the American Stance

The Hamas leader pointed out that his movement had given a "preliminary yes," but conditioned the amendment of the clauses that "legalize the continuation of extermination and starvation," confirming that the proposed amendments were exactly in line with what had been previously agreed upon with the American mediator "textually and literally."

Nevertheless, he expressed regret over what he viewed as a turnaround in the American position, saying: "Instead of supporting the original agreement paper, the Americans described our response as an unacceptable retreat."

Message to the World: We Did Not Fail the Ceasefire

Mardawi affirmed at the conclusion of his statement that "Hamas" does not seek to undermine efforts but asks for "the minimum of human dignity," adding:

"We demand a halt to the aggression, securing aid, the return of the displaced, and the freedom of prisoners. Those who truly want to stop the war should pressure those who kill, starve, and besiege, not those who defend their people."

He pointed out that the movement will continue to work with all international parties "to reach a fair agreement that ends the aggression, guarantees the Israeli withdrawal, and halts the killing and starvation machine."