Hamas, Islamic Jihad reject giving up power in return for permanent ceasefire - Egyptian sources
By Ahmed Mohamed Hassan and Nidal al-Mughrabi
CAIRO (Reuters) — Hamas and the allied Islamic Jihad have rejected an Egyptian proposal that they relinquish power in the Gaza Strip in return for a permanent ceasefire, two Egyptian security sources told Reuters on Monday.
Both groups, which have been holding separate talks with Egyptian mediators in Cairo, rejected offering any concessions beyond the possible release of more hostages seized on Oct. 7 when militants broke into southern Israel, killing 1,200 people.
Egypt proposed a «vision», also backed by Qatari mediators, that would involve a ceasefire in exchange for the release of more hostages, and lead to a broader agreement involving a permanent ceasefire along with an overhaul of leadership in Gaza, which is currently led by Hamas.
Egypt proposed elections while offering assurances to Hamas that its members would not be chased or prosecuted, but the Islamist group rejected any concessions other than hostage releases, the sources said. More than 100 hostages are still believed to be held in Gaza.
A Hamas official who visited Cairo recently declined to comment directly on specific offers of more temporary humanitarian truces and indicated the group's rejection by repeating its official stance.
«Hamas seeks to end the Israeli aggression against our people, the massacres and genocide, and we discussed with our Egyptian brothers the ways to do that,» the official told Reuters.
«We also said that the aid for our people must keep going and must increase and it must reach all the population in the north and the south,» the official said.
«After the aggression is stopped and the aid increased we are ready to discuss prisoner swaps,» he added.
ISLAMIC JIHAD
Islamic Jihad,
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