00:00Hamas criticized U.S. President Joe Biden on Sunday for linking a Gaza ceasefire to
00:18the release of Israelis held captive by the Palestinian group.
00:23Biden stated that a ceasefire in Gaza could occur as soon as tomorrow if Hamas released
00:29Israelis in its custody.
00:32Hamas deemed this stance as a step backward from the outcomes of previous negotiations.
00:38They noted that their approval of a proposal facilitated by mediators from Egypt and Qatar
00:44had been done with the knowledge of the United States.
00:48Negotiations between Hamas and Israel regarding a truce and hostage exchange deal facilitated
00:53by Egypt, Qatar and the U.S. seem to have halted due to Israeli military actions in
00:58the southern Gaza city of Rafah.
01:01The U.S. President addressed the issue of prisoners during a speech in Seattle, warning
01:06Israel of potential consequences if it deployed ground troops to Rafah.
01:11Hamas accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of derailing the talks by initiating
01:16an offensive in Rafah.
01:18They further criticized the Israeli government for escalating violence in various parts of
01:22the Gaza Strip and perpetuating what they described as a genocidal conflict.
01:28Hamas said it has shown flexibility during all rounds of negotiations to reach a ceasefire
01:33deal in Gaza.
01:34However, terrorist Netanyahu and his government rushed to overturn this path by launching
01:41their aggression on our people in Rafah, Jabalia and Gaza.
01:44Biden's position once again confirms the U.S. bias towards the criminal policy pursued
01:49by Israel and shows its continued political cover and military support for the genocide
01:54waged against our people, Hamas said.
01:57More than 35,000 Palestinians have been killed and over 76,600 others injured in a brutal
02:04Israeli onslaught on the Gaza Strip since the Hamas attack that killed nearly 1,200
02:09people.
02:10The Palestinian group demands an end to Israel's ongoing military offensive on the Gaza Strip
02:14in return for any hostage swap with Tel Aviv.
02:19After over seven months of conflict in Israel, large areas of Gaza are devastated, facing
02:24severe shortages of essential supplies such as food, water and medicine due to a blockade.
02:30Israel is facing acquisitions of genocide at the International Court of Justice.
02:34In an interim ruling issued in January, the ICJ deemed it plausible that Tel Aviv is committing
02:40genocide in Gaza and ordered Israel to cease such actions.
02:44Additionally, Israel was directed to ensure the provision of humanitarian aid to civilians
02:48in Gaza.
02:49South Africa has recently requested the ICJ to demand Israel's withdrawal from Rafah
02:55as part of urgent measures to address the ongoing conflict.
