Hamas warns no ceasefire if Israel continues aggression in Rafah
(Baonghean.vn) - Hamas official Osama Hamdan warned on May 7 that if Israel's military aggression continues in Rafah, there will be no ceasefire agreement.
Hamdan made the remarks at a press conference in Beirut as a Hamas delegation arrived in Cairo from Doha to continue ceasefire talks. “We affirm that the military operation in Rafah, if Israel continues, will not be a picnic for the (Israeli) army,” Hamdan said.
“The decision belongs to (Israeli Prime Minister) Netanyahu,” the Hamas official added, stressing that the latest ceasefire proposal agreed to by Hamas “represents the minimum level of meeting the demands of our people and our resistance.”
Israeli forces seized the main border crossing between Egypt and southern Gaza on May 7, closing a vital aid route into the Palestinian enclave that is on the brink of famine.
The White House on May 7 criticized the decision to close the border crossing into Gaza as "unacceptable" after Israel sent tanks into the southern city of Rafah and took control of the crossing with Egypt. "Closed crossings must be reopened, and closures are unacceptable," White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said at a press briefing, adding that Israel had committed to reopening the Kerem Shalom crossing into Gaza on May 8.
For its part, Israel remains determined to destroy the Hamas Islamist movement while negotiators from the Jewish state prepare to leave for ceasefire talks in Cairo, Egypt.
Israeli tanks entered the eastern side of the Gaza city of Rafah, which borders Egypt, early this morning. Israel identified this area as a key point to destroy Hamas. Some Israeli officials revealed that they carried out the "limited" attack to increase pressure at the negotiating table with Hamas.
On May 6, Hamas announced its acceptance of the ceasefire agreement, but Israel refused because it failed to meet its demands./.
