Haniyeh says that the resistance stands strong and resolute, while Israel says it is ready for a ceasefire

The head of the Hamas political bureau said that the Palestinian resistance stands “steadfast on the battlefield” despite two and a half months of Israeli war crimes in the besieged Gaza Strip.

In a meeting with Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian in the Qatari capital, Doha, on Wednesday, Ismail Haniyeh said that the scale of the Israeli army’s air, sea and land attacks on besieged Gaza was unprecedented.

He pointed out that “the Zionist entity and its allies thought that they could eliminate the resistance in this way and force it to raise the white flag.”

“But the resistance is still steadfast and steadfast on the battlefield and has inflicted heavy damage on the Zionist entity after 75 days of Israeli crimes and mass killings as part of its scorched earth policy.”

Haniyeh also praised the Palestinian people who showed unique steadfastness and stood by the resistance while paying a heavy price for their stance.

He stressed that the Palestinian people are still continuing on the path of resistance despite the fact that Israel has killed and wounded tens of thousands of Gazans, destroyed hundreds of homes, attacked hospitals, and prevented the entry of humanitarian aid into the besieged Strip.

He also thanked the head of the Hamas Political Bureau, Amir Abdollahian, for following developments in Gaza, saying that the top Iranian diplomat had made four visits to Qatar since the beginning of the war.

American confusion over the Gaza crisis

For his part, Amir Abdollahian stressed that Iran will continue its diplomatic efforts to support the “oppressed but strong and patient Palestinian nation” in an attempt to end the criminal Israeli aggression and siege on Gaza and confront the imposed pro-Israel political plans.

He added: “Today, no one doubts that the resistance and the Palestinian people have proven their strength and determination in the face of the killing machine of the Zionist entity, despite enduring a lot of pain and suffering and offering more than 20,000 martyrs during the past 75 days.” He said.

The Iranian Foreign Minister also condemned the United States’ “comprehensive and unlimited” support for Israel in the Gaza war, and urged Washington to stop its futile sponsorship of Tel Aviv’s “crazy military strategy” as soon as possible.

Highlighting the United States’ confusion regarding its strategy regarding the crisis in Gaza, he said: “Everyone in the White House believes that the Zionist regime must win in the field. But now they are seeking to exit this war with dignity through the political method and save the Israeli regime from failure.” His strategy in light of the field realities and the steadfastness of the resistance and the Palestinian people.

New ceasefire efforts in Gaza

The meeting comes as a source close to Hamas told AFP that Haniyeh will arrive in Egypt on Wednesday to hold talks on a new truce in Gaza.

Haniyeh. But he said: “There is no way to negotiate in light of the Israeli attacks.”

In addition, Israeli media reported that the Tel Aviv regime was looking for another deal with Hamas to release between 30 and 40 prisoners out of 128 still being held in Gaza by the resistance movement.

Reports stated that Israel is ready to negotiate the number of days for which it will cease fire, as well as the number and type of kidnapped Palestinians it will release in exchange for the prisoners. It is also prepared to discuss the entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza.

A senior Israeli official told Channel 12 that the agreement “will be difficult and will require exorbitant prices.”

Meanwhile, Israeli President Isaac Herzog told a group of foreign ambassadors that the regime was “ready for another humanitarian truce and additional humanitarian aid in order to enable the release” of the prisoners.

A humanitarian ceasefire took effect in Gaza from 24 to 30 November. It witnessed an exchange between 240 kidnapped Palestinians held by Israel and 105 prisoners of war, including 81 Israelis and 24 foreigners, held by Hamas in Gaza.

Israel launched a brutal war on Gaza on October 7 after Hamas carried out Operation Al-Aqsa Storm against the usurping entity in response to its intensified atrocities against the Palestinian people.

Since the start of the offensive, the Tel Aviv regime has killed at least 19,667 Palestinians, most of them women and children, and wounded 52,586 others.

Thousands more are missing and presumed dead under the rubble in Gaza, which is under a “total siege” by Israel.