GAZA, July 18 (Xinhua) -- Al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas, said on Friday that Hamas has proposed a comprehensive deal to release all Israeli hostages held in Gaza in exchange for a complete cessation of hostilities and a full withdrawal of Israeli forces from the coastal enclave.
In a televised address, Abu Obeida, spokesman for al-Qassam Brigades, said the movement has submitted the offer several times in recent months, but the Israeli government "rejected the proposal."
Obeida accused Israel of violating previous ceasefire agreements and resuming its military offensive in Gaza over the past four months.
Noting that Hamas was prepared for a "protracted confrontation," he said the group's current strategy focuses on inflicting losses on Israeli forces, carrying out high-impact attacks, and attempting to capture additional soldiers.
According to Obeida, several abduction attempts had been made in recent weeks.
He also criticized what he termed the "silence and complicity" of certain Arab and Islamic governments and called on their leaders and religious scholars to bear responsibility for the ongoing humanitarian crisis.
Obeida added that if the current round of negotiations fails, Hamas may not return to previous partial exchange proposals.
Since Israel resumed its military campaign in Gaza on March 18, at least 7,843 Palestinians have been killed and 27,933 others injured, bringing the overall death toll in Gaza since the start of the conflict in October 2023 to over 58,660, with more than 139,970 people injured, according to data released by health authorities in Gaza. ■
