Hassan Badran, a member of the political bureau of Hamas, warned that the intensification of Israeli military operations is likely to lead the Palestinian movement to cling to its position in mediation efforts to reach a ceasefire. Recently, Israeli forces have increased their airstrikes on northern Gaza amidst renewed violent fighting in the city of Rafah in the southernmost part of the devastated enclave. In other areas of the besieged strip, strikes targeted four schools used as shelters, resulting in casualties, which prompted condemnation from France and Germany, who deemed the attacks "unacceptable."
In response to a question about the increasing military operations, Badran told media that Israel "is trying to exert pressure in negotiations through intensifying bombings, displacement, and committing massacres." With diplomatic efforts accelerating to reach an agreement for the release of hostages and a ceasefire in Gaza after more than nine months of devastating war, Badran stated that Israel is trying to push Hamas to concede.
He noted that the Israeli government "hopes that the resistance will compromise during negotiations regarding its legitimate demands," which include a complete ceasefire and the full withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza. However, he emphasized that "the continuation of these massacres drives us to uphold our demands." Badran concluded, "We cannot determine how far the negotiations may go despite the flexibility we demonstrate."
