Hamas was not happy with the way Egypt proposed the Hamas-Israeli ceasefire initiative, said Hamas Movement Spokesperson Fawzy Barhoum.
“Initiatives are not made this way,” he said. “There is protocol for official communication that rule countries and entities. It would have been better if they communicated with us officially and received an official response, not through the media.”
Barhoum added that Hamas did not even receive a copy of the initiative.
He also refused that Qatar was behind Hamas rejecting the Egyptian ceasefire initiative.
“Our movement does not choose mediators or urge them to mediate," The London-based Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper quoted Barhoum as saying. "They should, however, take the initiative to show their solidarity with Gaza and the Palestinians and they should stand up against injustice.”
Barhoum stressed that Hamas does not want Gaza to remain under bombardment.
“War was imposed on us. We did not choose it. We do not want it," Barhoum said. "It is our destiny to enter this war to defend our people."
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
