Haniyeh says resistance stands ‘strong, resolute’ as Israel says ready for ceasefire

The head of Hamas’ political bureau says the Palestinian resistance stands “firm on the battlefield” despite two and a half months of Israeli war crimes in the besieged Gaza Strip.

In a meeting with Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian in the Qatari capital Doha on Wednesday, Ismail Haniyeh said the volume of the Israeli military’s aerial, naval, and ground attacks on the besieged Gaza has been unprecedented.

“The Zionist regime and its allies thought that they could eliminate the resistance this way and force it to raise the white flag,” he noted.

“The resistance, however, has still stood firm and steadfast on the battlefield and inflicted heavy damage on the Zionist regime after 75 days of Israeli crimes and mass murders as part of its scorched-earth policy.”

Haniyeh also hailed the Palestinian nation for showing unique resilience and standing by the resistance while paying a heavy price for their position.

The Palestinian nation still continues the path of resistance in spite of the fact that Israel has killed and injured tens of thousands of people in Gaza, destroyed hundreds of houses, attacked hospitals and blocked the entry of humanitarian aid into the blockaded territory, he emphasized.

The Hamas chief further thanked Amir-Abdollahian for following up on the developments in Gaza, saying the top Iranian diplomat has made four visits to Qatar since the beginning of the war.

Amir-Abdollahian, for his part, stressed that Iran will continue its diplomatic efforts to support “the oppressed but powerful and patient Palestinian nation” in an attempt to end Israel’s criminal aggression and siege on Gaza and counter imposed pro-Israeli political schemes.

“Today, no one has doubts that the resistance and the Palestinian nation have proven their power and resolve in the face of the Zionist regime’s killing machine despite enduring a lot of pain and suffering and sacrificing more than 20,000 martyrs in the past 75 days,” he said.

The Iranian foreign minister also condemned the United States’ “all-out and unrestricted” support for Israel in the Gaza war, urging Washington to stop its futile sponsorship of Tel Aviv’s “insane military strategy” as soon as possible.

Highlighting the US’s “strategic bewilderment” about the crisis in Gaza, he said, “All those at the White House believe that the Zionist regime must be victorious in the field. Now, however, they are seeking to get out of this war with dignity through a political method and save the Israeli regime from a strategic failure given the realities on the field and the resilience of the resistance and the Palestinian people.”

New Gaza ceasefire efforts

The meeting comes as a source close to Hamas told AFP that Haniyeh is due in Egypt on Wednesday for talks on a new Gaza truce.

Haniyeh. however, said, “There is no way for negotiations under Israel’s attacks.”

Additionally, Israeli media reported that the Tel Aviv regime is looking for another deal with Hamas to release 30 to 40 captives of the 128 still held in Gaza by the resistance group.

Israel is prepared to negotiate the number of days it will hold its fire as well as the number and type of Palestinian abductees it would release in exchange for the captives, according to the reports. It is also prepared to discuss the entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza.

A senior Israeli official told Channel 12 that the agreement “will be difficult and will demand heavy prices.”

Meanwhile, Israeli president Issac Herzog told a group of foreign ambassadors that the regime was “ready for another humanitarian pause and additional humanitarian aid in order to enable the release” of the captives.

A humanitarian ceasefire took effect in Gaza from 24 to 30 November. It saw an exchange of between 240 Palestinian abductees held by Israel and 105 war prisoners, including 81 Israelis and 24 foreigners, held by Hamas in Gaza.

Israel waged the brutal war on Gaza on October 7 after Hamas carried out Operation Al-Aqsa Storm against the usurping entity in retaliation for its intensified atrocities against the Palestinian people.

Since the start of the offensive, the Tel Aviv regime has killed at least 19,667 Palestinians, mostly women and children, and injured 52,586 others.

Thousands more are also missing and presumed dead under the rubble in Gaza, which is under “complete siege” by Israel.