The Palestinian resistance forces delivered their response on Tuesday, June 11, 2024, to a document drafted by Israel regarding a ceasefire. The response from the resistance forces was political, with the main message emphasizing the necessity to stop the war on the Palestinian people and ensuring that no agreement would be used as a cover to resume the genocide against the Palestinian people. There must be guarantees confirming this in the text and details of the agreement.
The Palestinian resistance forces were also clear about their commitment to achieving a comprehensive exchange of live prisoners and bodies of the deceased, with a humanitarian aspect. This should be carried out through a reliable mechanism previously tested by both parties during the release of prisoners in the short truce last November, which the occupation insisted on ending to complete the genocide in the Gaza Strip. This truce represented an opportunity for a full exchange of prisoners, but the Israeli government insisted on continuing the genocide, massacres, and destruction in the Gaza Strip, which also included the Israeli forces targeting and killing a large number of Israeli prisoners in the sector during their brutal bombardment.
In their response delivered to the mediators, the resistance forces confirmed the following points:
- The need for a clear provision for a complete and permanent ceasefire.
- Allowing the return of Palestinian displaced persons to their homes and areas, particularly the return of displaced persons to northern Gaza.
- The withdrawal of Israeli forces from the positions they have occupied in the heart of Gaza as part of a comprehensive withdrawal from the Gaza Strip in two phases.
- Withdrawal from the Rafah crossing and the border area between Egypt and Gaza to ensure the swift entry of humanitarian aid to Gaza and end the siege and starvation that is killing our people.
- Urgent relief for our people, including the entry of food, medicine, medical equipment, and necessary rescue tools.
- The third phase of the agreement must include an urgent reconstruction plan for Gaza.
The response of the Palestinian resistance adheres to our people’s right to life, rejects the continuation of genocide, and genuinely seeks to put an end to this war. No party in this world can sign an agreement that includes provisions allowing the continuation of genocide, or agree to the threats from the United States, which demands our people to surrender to genocide.
Moreover, the resistance’s response to the proposed agreement provides a basis for effectively ending this war and saving the lives of more than 2.3 million Palestinians who are subjected daily to brutal massacres and war crimes. It also stops the use of starvation and siege by the occupation as tools of killing within its brutal war.
The American threats will not push our people to surrender but will continue to provide cover by the American administration for Israel to persist in its genocide against the Palestinians, giving a green light for more war crimes. It is the duty of humanity today to pressure Israel and its ally, the United States, to put an end to the genocide, especially in light of the positive response from the Palestinian resistance forces, despite the proposal being extremely unfair to our people.
