The Palestinian resistance group Hamas said Thursday that it is ready for serious negotiations to end the ongoing Israeli assault on the Gaza Strip.
Hamas leader Mahmoud Mardawi said the Palestinians have engaged responsibly and seriously with all ceasefire proposals in Gaza.
"Israel backtracked on agreements, broke promises to mediators, and resumed its campaign of killing and escalation," he added in a statement.
Mardawi stressed that Israel's actions present a test for the global community.
"Either the international community upholds international law and justice, or it continues its double standards, which endanger not only Palestine but the entire region," he said.
For the past 18 months, Hamas had participated in indirect negotiations with Israel with Qatari, Egyptian, and US mediation. While some agreements were reached, Tel Aviv repeatedly violated them, preventing a final resolution.
Meanwhile, Egyptian state media reported that a security delegation traveled to Qatar to continue negotiations aimed at releasing prisoners and hostages as part of an interim effort to reduce escalation in Gaza.
On Wednesday, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi emphasized that Egypt is "steadily working to secure a ceasefire in Gaza and to implement its subsequent phases", calling for mobilizing efforts "to stop the bloodshed and restore calm and stability to the region".
The Israeli army launched a surprise aerial campaign on the Gaza Strip on March 18, killing 855 people, injuring nearly 1,900 others, and shattering a ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement that took hold in January.
More than 50,200 Palestinians have been killed, mostly women and children, and over 113,900 injured in a brutal Israeli military onslaught on Gaza since October 2023.
The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants last November for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.
