Hamas Leader: Washington Abandoned July Talks and the Resistance Is Still Unbreakable (Exclusive)

Ali Barakeh, a member of the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) leadership abroad, confirmed that the Movement rejects the presence of even a single Israeli soldier in the Gaza Strip following the expected ceasefire and prisoner exchange deal.

The head of Hamas's National Relations Abroad told Al-Estiklal that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu respects nothing and commits to nothing; he merely uses negotiations for the sake of negotiation itself, to gain more time and continue the aggression.

Netanyahu's goals are to force displacement of the Palestinian people in Gaza out of the Strip and eliminate the Resistance. However, he has failed over more than ten and a half months of aggression, according to Barakeh.

Barakeh urged the people of the nation to act in their cities, hold sit-ins in front of American and Zionist embassies, and not fear arrests in exchange for defending their brothers who face extermination in Gaza.

Regarding the situation of the al-Qassam Brigades on the ground, Barakeh stressed that "this resistance is unbreakable, supported, and embraced by the Palestinian people. It was established to remain, and it will remain, liberate Gaza, and achieve victory, God willing."

For months, Qatar, Egypt, and the United States have been mediating indirect negotiations between “Israel” and Hamas to reach an agreement to end the war and exchange prisoners. Meanwhile, Hebrew media confirms Netanyahu's insistence on derailing this process, with U.S. support, to prolong the aggression and eliminate the resistance.

Since October 7, 2023, “Israel,” with American support, has been waging a war of extermination on Gaza, leaving around 134,000 Palestinian casualties, most of them women and children, over 10,000 missing, amid massive destruction and deadly famine.

Latest Developments

• How do you assess Hezbollah's response to the assassination of leader Fuad Shukr?

Hezbollah's response in Lebanon, targeting vital and strategic locations within the Israeli Occupation, was indeed a retaliation for the assassination of the prominent leader in the Islamic Resistance in Lebanon, Fuad Shukr.

We in the Hamas movement praise and support this response, reaffirming that resistance is the only way Israel understands. Netanyahu must pay the price for his crimes and massacres against our Palestinian people, our Lebanese brothers, and the people of this nation.

So, this response was a natural reaction from the Islamic Resistance in Lebanon to the ongoing aggression against Lebanon and its people.

• The Hamas delegation returned from Cairo to Doha after listening to the mediators. What is your comment?

We in the Hamas movement reaffirm our commitment to the written proposal we submitted to the mediators on July 2, 2024.

The movement has emphasized its insistence on a permanent ceasefire, the complete withdrawal of the Israeli Occupation army from the Gaza Strip, the unconditional return of displaced people to their homes, the entry of humanitarian, medical, and food aid into all governorates of Gaza, the start of revitalization and reconstruction processes, and the establishment of a serious and genuine prisoner exchange deal.

We reject the presence of even one Israeli soldier in the Gaza Strip after this deal is concluded, and we also reject Netanyahu's imposition of any veto on the Palestinian prisoner leaders.

Therefore, the movement's delegation headed to Cairo on August 24 to hear from the Egyptian and Qatari mediators about the latest discussions held in Cairo with the American and Zionist sides.

The movement's delegation will study the new proposals and respond accordingly, but we remain steadfast—and we repeat, steadfast—in our position outlined on July 2 in Doha.

American Complicity

• What are the details of what happened in the Doha and Cairo negotiations?

We did not participate in these negotiations, which were conducted between the American and Israeli sides. This is because Washington changed its position on the discussions from July 2 and on the proposal submitted by Hamas, which was based on President Biden's speech and United Nations Security Council Resolution 2735.

This proposal was accepted by the Egyptian and Qatari mediators and by the American side, represented by the CIA Director.

At that time, the Israeli delegation, consisting of the Mossad chief, the Shin Bet chief, and the head of the prisoner affairs portfolio in the Israeli Occupation government, requested one week to respond to this paper, which the United States, Egypt, and Qatar had accepted. They left Doha on July 11 and met with Netanyahu that same night, but he rejected everything presented to him, imposed new conditions, and did not respond to the mediators.

Then, Netanyahu traveled to America on July 24, delivered his famous speech in Congress, returned to occupied Palestine, and began escalating the situation, committing brutal massacres, starting with the massacre at al-Mawasi in mid-July, followed by the assassination of Hezbollah military commander Fuad Shukr on July 30, and then the assassination of leader Ismail Haniyeh at dawn on July 31, just six hours later.

• Do you believe Netanyahu received a green light from Washington to escalate matters, expand the war, and ignite the region?

There is no doubt that Netanyahu received a green light to ignite the region because he first rejected the Hamas paper on July 2, which had been agreed upon by all the mediators, then went to America and returned to begin the massacres and invasions, committing the Black Saturday massacre on August 10 in the al-Daraj neighborhood at the al-Tabaeen School, killing more than 100 worshippers during dawn prayers, including many children.

Before that, the al-Mawasi massacre on July 13 followed the Doha round that preceded this one; thus, Netanyahu respects nothing and commits to nothing—he merely uses negotiations for the sake of negotiation, to gain more time and continue the aggression.

New Arbitrary Proposal

• What has changed in the recent Doha and Cairo negotiations compared to the paper accepted by Hamas and agreed upon on July 2?

In the Doha negotiations, the U.S. administration retracted the previous paper that was accepted on July 2 and approved by Hamas.

This time, a ceasefire of only six weeks was proposed, without addressing a permanent ceasefire, which led the movement to reject it as a reversal of what had been previously agreed upon to placate Netanyahu and allow him to continue his genocidal crimes.

• What were the points included in the paper you agreed upon on July 2 that are now being reversed?

The paper accepted by the movement on July 2 had three phases, each lasting six weeks.

In the first phase, civilian prisoners, female soldiers, and the elderly were to be released in exchange for Palestinian prisoners. During this phase, aid would be delivered to Gaza, both north and south, and displaced persons would return to their homes without restrictions.

On the sixteenth day of the first phase, negotiations would begin on the second phase and the second batch of prisoners, particularly Israeli soldiers, and officers, in exchange for Palestinian prisoners.

The agreement was that the truce would continue as long as negotiations were ongoing, and U.S. President [Joe] Biden had encouraged a cessation of hostilities from both sides until the Israeli army withdrew beyond the Gaza Envelope.

However, this time, the Americans only spoke of the first phase—a six-week truce—and said there was no objection to Israeli forces remaining in Netzarim and the Philadelphia Corridor.

This represents a reversal from the American president’s speech regarding the withdrawal of the Israeli army from Gaza. Netanyahu, technically, requested an American veto on 100 prisoners, while the Americans requested that he reduce this number to only 65. Thus, the negotiations have become U.S.-Israeli!

• What are the points of contention in the recent American proposal that Hamas rejected?

The new American proposal retains the presence of the Israeli army in the Philadelphia Corridor, places the management of the Rafah crossing under Israeli supervision, monitors displaced persons returning to northern Gaza in the Netzarim area, and relocates a large number of Palestinian prisoners released in the exchange deal outside of Palestine.

Additionally, it grants Israel the right to refuse the release of less than 100 prisoners and does not require a withdrawal from the Gaza Strip. All of these elements in the new American paper are completely unacceptable.

The recent negotiations in Cairo are irrelevant to us, as they involved a trilateral discussion between the Israeli delegation, Egypt, and the American delegation, without the participation of Qatar or Hamas.

They are focused on how to remove the Israeli army from the vicinity of the Rafah crossing and the Philadelphia Corridor or how to redeploy it there, and how to manage the Rafah crossing.

• Who is responsible for the failure of the negotiations regarding the anticipated deal?

We hold the criminal Netanyahu responsible for the failure of the negotiations that took place previously in Doha, whether in July or August. Netanyahu always imposes new conditions on the mediators and does not wish to halt the aggression against the Palestinian people, continuing to commit massacres, acts of genocide, and starvation warfare.

It is clear that Netanyahu’s goals are to exterminate the Palestinian people in Gaza, displace them from the Strip, and eliminate the resistance while securing the release of Israeli prisoners alive by force. However, Netanyahu’s objectives have failed over more than ten and a half months of fighting and aggression.

The Palestinian people will neither retreat nor surrender, and the resistance will continue to confront the Zionist Israeli Occupation forces. The resistance will not cease until Gaza is cleared of enemy soldiers.

Thus, we in Hamas believe that Netanyahu is exploiting the ceasefire negotiations to gain more time. Netanyahu is also betting on the U.S. elections and the potential victory of former President [Donald] Trump, his strategic ally, who could offer him more support than the Democratic Party.

Therefore, we see Netanyahu as the primary responsible party for the failure of the negotiations and for prolonging the war.

Gaza and the Muslims

• What is your perspective on the targeting and destruction of mosques, as well as the video circulating of Zionist soldiers vandalizing mosques and burning the Quran?

The criminal Netanyahu has not been content with destroying schools, universities, and government buildings, and cutting off electricity, water, and internet from our besieged Palestinian population in Gaza; he has gone even further.

He has begun targeting mosques and churches, committing numerous massacres in many prayer sites and mosques during prayers, such as the attack on the al-Tabaeen Mosque in the al-Daraj neighborhood on August 10 at dawn.

He has also bombed worshippers in the al-Shati Mosque and several other mosques, with more than two thousand mosques destroyed in Gaza to date.

Therefore, we call upon the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and the Arab and Islamic nations to support and stand by the Palestinian people and defend the sanctity of mosques, the houses of God.

The Zionist enemy has not only destroyed our mosques and Judaized Jerusalem but is also working to divide the al-Aqsa Mosque. Netanyahu is killing worshippers inside mosques and slaughtering thousands of children, women, and men.

The number of martyrs in Gaza has now exceeded 40,000, with 70% being women and children. The number of injured has reached over 93,000, most of whom are women and children.

Netanyahu disregards the United Nations Charter and the Fourth Geneva Convention, which aims to protect civilians and places of worship. His actions violate all international and humanitarian treaties.

Therefore, the international community must hold Netanyahu accountable. He is wanted by the International Criminal Court and should be punished for all the crimes he has committed against humanity.

• What messages does Hamas want to convey to the Islamic and Arab nations?

We urge the Islamic Ummah to support their brothers in the Gaza Strip. Our people in Gaza are shedding their blood daily in defense of al-Aqsa Mosque, the first of the two Qiblas, the third of the three holy mosques, and the second of the two mosques that were established on Earth.

The Palestinian people are sacrificing their most precious resources—children, women, the elderly, and youth—in defense of the sacred sites of the Ummah. We call on the people of the Ummah to act in their cities and capitals, at the very least, to hold sit-ins in front of American and Zionist embassies, especially in those capitals that maintain relations with the Israeli Occupation.

I urge millions of Arab and Muslim youth, men, and women not to fear arrest by their governments in the defense of their brothers facing genocide in Gaza. They should recognize the enormity of the sacrifice being made by their brothers in Gaza. Are you afraid of being arrested for defending your brothers and your sacred sites?

It is not required for the people of the Ummah to go to battle inside Gaza at this moment, but at the very least, they should shake the borders in their own countries and close the American and Israeli embassies in their lands. They should not merely express solidarity like Europeans and foreigners.

We appreciate the European mobilization and the student movements in America supporting our cause, as well as the actions of parties and free individuals worldwide. These are not Arabs or Muslims, but more is required from Arabs and Muslims than from Europeans and foreigners.

Your brothers in Palestine are your Ummah’s children and followers of your faith, and they are shedding their blood. The least you can do is to apply pressure to cross borders with occupied Palestine to send a message to the Zionist enemy that you are part of this Arab and Islamic Ummah and that an attack on the Palestinian people is an attack on the entire Ummah.

Al-Qassam Resilience

• How do you assess the Resistance's ability to inflict significant damage on Israeli soldiers and officers inside Gaza?

The Palestinian Resistance in Gaza is determined to continue the fight and defend our people, our nation, and our sacred sites. By the grace of God, the Resistance in Gaza has persevered through the eleventh month of combat.

The Resistance has engaged the Israeli army in a true war of attrition, destroying over 2,000 tanks, bulldozers, armored vehicles, and jeeps in the first ten months alone, causing severe losses in both lives and equipment for the Israeli Occupation.

The resistance in Gaza, thank God, remains strong and growing. It has been able to manufacture its own weapons and ammunition from resources available within the Strip.

This resistance will not break or retreat; it is resilient and supported by the Palestinian people. It exists to stay, will remain, and will liberate Gaza and achieve victory, God willing.

• How do you see the statements of the Israeli prisoner who contradicted the Zionist media and praised the treatment she received from the Resistance during captivity, stating that her injuries were from Israeli shelling and not from torture?

The Zionist enemy [Israeli Occupation forces] treats Palestinian detainees very poorly and in a criminal manner, torturing them to death. A large number of Palestinian detainees have died under torture.

We have seen how those who are released often emerge sick, debilitated, and weakened due to the torture inflicted by the Israeli Occupation forces.

The Israeli Occupation army has morally fallen in this conflict, whereas the Israeli prisoners released by the Gaza Resistance in November 2023 were seen leaving in good health and smiling, bidding farewell to the Resistance fighters.

They reported receiving good treatment, consistent with our Islamic ethics, as the Resistance ensures that prisoners are treated well according to our noble Islamic teachings.

In contrast, the world has witnessed Palestinian detainees are suffering and dying under torture in the Israeli Occupation's detention centers; many released from Israeli prisons with severe health issues.