Hamas rejects Tony Blair's proposal on truce with Israel

Hamas announced on Saturday its rejection of a proposal by former envoy of the Middle East Quartet Tony Blair on reaching a long-term truce with Israel.

Hamas leader Mahmoud al-Zahar said in a statement carried by the Islamist movement's website that the group does not have a new truce deal, but an implementation of the cease-fire agreement announced by Egypt on Aug. 26 last year.

"We told Blair and others that in order for the cease-fire to take hold and not go from a cease-fire to a new confrontation with the occupation, you need to lift the siege on the Gaza Strip," al-Zahar added.

Hamas confirmed for the first time on Aug. 13 that it has conducted a meeting with Blair to stabilize the cease-fire with Israel in the Gaza Strip.

Later, Hamas officials stated that these talks are still in the making and have not reached a final stage, while various media reports said the talks have reached a dead-end.

The cease-fire has ended a 50-day large scale military operation that killed more than 2,100 Palestinians and injured 10,000 others.

Al-Zahar said that the Hamas equation is "lifting the siege in exchange for stabilizing the truce," rejecting any connection between the truce and the issue of Israeli soldiers detained by Hamas.

He added that the detainees issue is not up to discussion unless the detainees rearrested after being freed in the latest swap deal between Hamas and Israel are released.

A swap deal was reached between Israel and Palestinians in 2011 to free Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit in exchange for Palestinian prisoners.


The office of the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has denied that Israeli officials held any meetings with Hamas either directly or indirectly.
  Xinhua - globaltimes.cn
4/10/15