'Ready for Ceasefire,’ Says Hamas; Calls on Trump to Pressure Israel to End War

New Delhi: A top Hamas official stated on Friday that the Iran-backed militant group is "open to a ceasefire" in Gaza. He called on US President-elect Donald Trump to exert pressure on Israel to cease its military actions, as Israeli forces continued their bombardment of the Palestinian territory.

“Hamas is ready to reach a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip if a ceasefire proposal is presented and on the condition that it is respected" by Israel, said Bassem Naim, a member of Hamas' political bureau based in Doha, in an interview with AFP. “We call on the US administration and Trump to pressure the Israeli government to end the aggression."

This comes as Qatar suspended its key mediation efforts between Hamas and Israel due to mounting frustration over the lack of progress on a ceasefire deal for Gaza. Qatar informed both Israel and Hamas that it could no longer mediate, citing the failure to negotiate in good faith.

 As a result, the Hamas political office in Doha no longer serves its purpose, and Qatar has informed Hamas it must leave if it is not willing to engage in serious negotiations.

In Washington, a US official revealed that the Biden administration had informed Qatar two weeks ago that the Hamas office in Doha was no longer useful and should be closed. A senior US official confirmed that after Hamas rejected the latest ceasefire proposal, Qatar accepted the advice and notified the Hamas delegation of its decision 10 days ago.

A senior Hamas official acknowledged Qatar's decision to suspend its mediation efforts but stated, "No one told us to leave." 

Hamas has repeatedly demanded an end to the war and the full withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza as conditions for a ceasefire. Meanwhile, Israel seeks the return of hostages taken during Hamas' October 7, 2023 attack and insists on maintaining a presence in Gaza.