Hamas on Saturday confirmed that it was once against engaged in indirect efforts to mediate a cease-fire with Israel.
The statement followed a meeting between Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, the group's military leader Yahya Sinwar and other officials with Egyptian intelligence officials, headed by Cairo's former military attaché to Gaza Muhammad Abd al-Khaliq.
Egypt has been instrumental in trying to broker an Israel-Hamas truce agreement in recent weeks, in an effort to prevent a recent flare-up in violence from escalating into full-blown war.
Two weeks ago, Cairo said it was suspending the talks, citing, among other things, the efforts by the Palestinian Authority to undermine negotiations.
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas has admitted that Ramallah was actively trying to torpedo these efforts, which also sought to outline an agreement that would pave the way for Gaza's reconstruction and an eventual prisoner swap, saying that Hamas, which violently ousted his government from Gaza in 2007, had no authority to hold any type of negotiations with Israel.
"The talks were held in a positive atmosphere and delved into the challenges ahead, first and foremost the end to the Gaza siege and the urgent need to ease the suffering of the people of Gaza," a statement by Hamas said Saturday.
The coastal enclave has been under an Israeli maritime blockade since Hamas' takeover of Gaza. Israel and Egypt have also imposed restrictions on land movement between their territories and the Strip, citing the need to prevent Hamas from smuggling weapons and terrorists across the borders.
Eleven years on, these measures have crippled Gaza's economy, with unemployment reaching 49%, and the dilapidated infrastructure in the Strip is no longer able to support its 2 million residents.
"The parties have also reviewed efforts to establish a cease-fire, in accordance with the understandings reached after 2014 [the last Israel-Hamas war] and Israel's commitment to adhere to these understandings," the statement said.
A Hamas official privy to the negotiations said al-Khaliq, who left his post after the Gaza coup, is known for his animosity toward Hamas.
He stressed that despite this, the Egyptian delegation handled the talks "professionally and fairly."
He noted that the protests on the Israel-Gaza Strip border will continue until such time that a truce and the internal Palestinian reconciliation deal are implemented.
Hamas' ouster of Abbas' Fatah-led government from Gaza effectively split the Palestinian Authority into two separate political entities. Egypt's efforts over the past decade to promote a reconciliation between the rival Palestinian factions – the latest brokered in October 2017 – have so far failed.
Sinwar said Friday that the Palestinians must continue with the border riot campaign launched on March 30, regardless of the cease-fire negotiations.
"We will go there [the border] every day to tell the occupation that we will continue with this [the protests] until we achieve our goal and break the siege once and for all. We will not be deterred. We will put an end to it once and for all," he said.
