Khalil al-Hayya, the Deputy Head of Hamas in Gaza, announced that the movement has agreed to a new ceasefire proposal aimed at halting the ongoing Israeli assault on the besieged enclave.

The announcement came during a speech released on the occasion of Eid al-Fitr, marking a key development in the protracted conflict.

Al-Hayya reaffirmed Hamas’s commitment to defending the Palestinian people, declaring that the Resistance's weapons remain a "red line" that will not be crossed. “No displacement, no expulsion,” he said, rejecting any plans that compromise Palestinian sovereignty or dignity. “To those who expect us to abandon our people, you are deluded.”

Al-Hayya revealed that Hamas had received a proposal from international mediators two days earlier and responded positively. “We agreed to it in hopes that the occupation will not obstruct or sabotage the mediators' efforts,” he said, emphasizing Hamas's responsible and optimistic approach to achieving a ceasefire that guarantees safety for the people of Gaza.

The ceasefire discussions, according to al-Hayya, have been ongoing for over a year and a half, with the Palestinian factions maintaining clear goals: ending the Israeli aggression, ensuring Palestinian rights to their land, and securing the release of prisoners from Israeli jails.

Despite challenges, Hamas and other Palestinian resistance factions have expressed readiness to move forward. "The ball is now in Israel’s court," he said.

In a significant move, al-Hayya announced steps taken by Hamas to advance Palestinian unity. He stated that the group had accepted an Egyptian proposal to establish a civil oversight committee composed of independent national figures to administer Gaza.

He added that talks on forming the committee have reached an "advanced stage," with a proposed list of candidates submitted and awaiting finalization. Hamas also reached agreements with other Palestinian factions during visits to Russia and China to form a national unity government of technocrats.

“These efforts reflect a strategic vision outlined by our martyred leader Ismail Haniyeh,” al-Hayya explained. “A vision focused on ending aggression, achieving unity, and upholding Palestinian rights—especially establishing a sovereign state with Jerusalem as its capital and securing the right of return for refugees.”

Al-Hayya accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of deliberately undermining all ceasefire efforts to prolong the war for political survival. He claimed that a ceasefire agreement had already been reached on January 19, but Israel failed to uphold its commitments and ultimately abandoned the deal after its first phase.

“Hamas and the resistance adhered fully to the terms, despite Israel’s violations. We communicated clearly that we sought no changes—only respect for what was already agreed upon and guaranteed by mediators and the international community,” al-Hayya said.

He also noted that Israel refused to negotiate the second phase of the agreement, declined to withdraw from the Philadelphi Axis, and instead reimposed a deadly siege on humanitarian aid.

Addressing Arab and Islamic nations, al-Hayya warned of the ongoing catastrophe facing Palestinians in Gaza, the West Bank, Jerusalem, and the 1948 territories. He described Israel’s crimes as part of a “disaster threatening the future of the Palestinian cause,” criticizing the global silence in the face of such atrocities.

Calling for serious mobilization, he urged the Muslim world to confront the occupation's aggression “with all possible means” and stand firmly by the Palestinian people in their struggle for justice and liberation. (ILKHA)