TEHRAN - Hamas has said its delegation has left the Egyptian capital, Cairo, after Tel Aviv imposed fresh conditions on a ceasefire agreement for Gaza.

The Palestinian group was not directly involved in the talks. Hamas said it has already made its positions clear over the past months to Egyptian and Qatari mediators. 

The movement’s negotiating delegation left Cairo following their meetings with Egyptian and Qatari mediators, during which they reviewed the outcomes of the latest round of discussions.

The discussions were supposedly aimed at addressing critical issues, including the terms and conditions of a potential ceasefire and a prisoner exchange agreement.

Izzat al-Rishq, a member of the Hamas political bureau, emphasized that the Hamas delegation had demanded that the Israel occupying forces adhere to the framework made on July 2. 

This framework is based on the proposal outlined in President Joe Biden’s speech and the resolution passed by the United Nations Security Council. 

He highlighted that Hamas is fully prepared to implement the terms of this proposal, which are intended to safeguard the fundamental interests of the Palestinian people and to halt the ongoing genocidal war against them.

The Hamas delegation reiterated the movement’s stance that any potential deal must include several key elements.

These include a permanent and unconditional ceasefire, a complete withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Gaza Strip, the freedom for residents to return to their homes, provisions for humanitarian relief and reconstruction, and a serious commitment to a prisoner exchange deal. 

These terms are seen as crucial for achieving a lasting resolution to the genocidal war on Gaza.

Earlier, sources within the Palestinian resistance leadership told regional media the focus of the Cairo talks was on negotiating a ceasefire in Gaza and finalizing a prisoner exchange deal but Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had imposed new conditions on the Israeli delegation. 

According to the sources, these new conditions halted any progress in the talks. 

The sources stated that Tel Aviv is insisting on maintaining its presence at the Egyptian-Gaza border as part of the initial phase of any potential agreement. 

In contrast, Hamas is holding firmly to the proposal outlined on July 2 and rejects the presence of Israeli forces at the border crossing with Egypt, remaining steadfast in its position that this issue must be resolved in accordance with previous proposals. 

The Palestinian sources also confirmed that Hamas had dispatched a delegation to Cairo to affirm their commitment to the July 2 proposal. 

This proposal is not viewed by Hamas as a subject for negotiation but as a binding reference for implementation.

Al-Rishq had previously stated that the Hamas delegation arrived in Cairo on Saturday evening, led by Khalil al-Hayya, the deputy head of the political bureau. 

Their goal was to hear the results of the latest round of negotiations. Al-Rishq stated that Hamas is calling for increased pressure on the occupying forces to ensure compliance with the terms already agreed upon and to overcome any obstacles that delay reaching a final agreement.

Hamas says these must include terms that any agreement must stipulate a permanent ceasefire and the full withdrawal of Israeli occupation forces from all of the Gaza Strip. 

Hamas also said the Netanyahu government put forward other new conditions, including the screening of displaced Palestinians as they return to the enclave’s more heavily populated north when the ceasefire begins.

“We will not accept discussions about retractions from what we agreed to on July 2 or new conditions,” Hamas official Osama Hamdan said. 

This comes as the Israeli military continues to destroy the health sector in the Strip in what analysts believe is more Israeli war crimes to force Hamas into accepting Tel Aviv’s ceasefire terms. 

In a statement posted on social media, Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) said on Sunday night that a large explosion shook the MSF-supported al-Aqsa Hospital, approximately 250 meters away.

“As a result, MSF is considering whether to suspend wound care for the time being, while trying to maintain life-saving treatment.”

From around 650 patients, only 100 remain in the hospital, with seven in intensive care unit, the statement pointed out. 

“This situation is unacceptable. Al-Aqsa [hospital] has been operating well beyond capacity for weeks due to the lack of alternatives for patients,” it added.