Palestinian factions have ‘unified vision’ on Gaza deal: Badran
The following are highlights from Egyptian Al Qahera News’s TV interview on Thursday with Husam Badran, the head of Hamas’s national relations and a member of its political bureau:
- We are in Cairo today to follow up on the steps related to implementing the Sharm el-Sheikh Agreement.
- What distinguishes this round is the participation of many major Palestinian factions.
- All factions agree on a unified vision for implementing the agreement in a way that serves the interests of the Palestinian people.
- The Sharm el-Sheikh Agreement was the result of extensive dialogue and communication between the Palestinian factions, and all the statements issued by them affirmed the unity of their position and common approach.
Hamas and Palestinian Authority delegations met on Thursday in Cairo for the first time as part of ongoing talks over the second phase of Trump’s Gaza plan, aimed at outlining political and security arrangements for the territory after the ceasefire.
- The meeting of the Palestinian factions in Cairo is the first since the Sharm el-Sheikh Agreement, and it aims to outline practical steps for the next phase of the deal.
- I assure everyone that there is a Palestinian national consensus covering all the issues being discussed.
- The primary and fundamental goal of the Sharm el-Sheikh Agreement is to stop the war and massacre against the Palestinian people.
- We are eager to ensure that there is absolutely no reason for things to return to the way they were.
- We are confident in the efforts of our mediating brothers, foremost among them our brothers in Egypt.
- As Palestinians, we are proceeding with all seriousness and credibility to implement the agreement until the end, appreciating the role of Egypt and the other mediators in consolidating the ceasefire and protecting the interests of our people.
Hamas praises US stance on Gaza and occupied West Bank
Hazem Qassem, the spokesperson for the Hamas movement in Gaza, has reiterated the group’s commitment to the truce agreement. According to a statement released on Hamas’s Telegram page, he said that Hamas is “keen to ensure the success of this agreement and its implementation on the ground”. Qassem stressed that Hamas has received clear guarantees from Egypt, Qatar, and Turkiye, as well as direct confirmations from the United States, that the war has effectively ended and that implementing the terms of the agreement represents a complete end to it.
He praised US President Trump’s statements, considering them in favour of the ceasefire agreement and noted that Washington’s position rejecting the annexation of the occupied West Bank to Israel is “positive”. He called for pressure on Israel to fulfil its obligations, most notably halting the aggression, lifting the siege on the Gaza Strip, and allowing the urgent and adequate entry of humanitarian aid. Qassem also warned that Israel might use the humanitarian card to blackmail political positions, calling for “serious action to prevent a recurrence of the starvation policies practised by the occupation during the long years of the blockade”.
Hazem says on the group’s Telegram channel that the movement is committed to Palestinian national consensus to resolve all outstanding issues related to the governance of Gaza after the war, stressing that the Palestinian Authority is “one of the Palestinian entities that cannot be ignored”. “We are entering a Palestinian national dialogue with open hearts and outstretched hands to all Palestinian forces. This is a time for national consensus and prioritising the national interest over narrow partisan interests,” the spokesperson added.
He noted that the current phase is dangerous “not only for Hamas, but for the entire Palestinian people in Gaza and the West Bank,” necessitating unified efforts to confront the challenges. The Hamas official reminded that the group has implemented the first phase of the agreement by handing over living prisoners and some bodies, and is currently working to complete the handover of the remaining bodies.
Qassem also said Israel has committed numerous violations since the ceasefire took effect, including the killing of about 90 Palestinians, the closure of the Rafah crossing, and the prevention of sufficient aid from entering. He pointed out that “what Israel announces is one thing, and what is happening on the ground is another.”
