Hamas top negotiator Khalil al-Hayya broke his silence during a pre-recorded statement that aired in Qatar overnight, in his first televised appearance since Israel targeted him and other leaders of the group in Doha last month.
Hamas’s top officials are believed to have survived the targeted strike, which killed six people and sparked a wave of criticism, including a rebuke from US President Donald Trump.
The Hamas leader remained defiant in the interview, saying he drew no distinction between those killed in the attack on Doha, including his son, and the tens of thousands who have died during the nearly two years of devastating war in Gaza.
“We hope that their blood will pave the way to victory, the way to Jerusalem, the way to the disgrace of the occupation, and the way to the dignity and triumph of the nation,” he said in the video aired by Al Araby Television Network in Qatar.
The video was broadcast as negotiators began heading to Cairo Sunday for talks aimed at ending the fighting in Gaza, with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressing hope hostages would be released within days.
The diplomatic push follows Palestinian militant group Hamas’ positive response to Trump’s roadmap for the release of captives in exchange for hundreds of Palestinians held in Israeli jails.
Egyptian state-linked media said the warring parties would hold indirect talks on Sunday and Monday, just before the second anniversary of the October 7 Hamas attack that sparked the war
Hayya did not mention the talks or the possible ceasefire in the portion of the interview that was seen by AFP.
The Hamas leader instead largely focused on the immense amount of suffering Gazans have faced during nearly two years of the blistering Israeli offensive in the Palestinian territory.
Qatar, along with Egypt and the United States, had led efforts to broker a comprehensive ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, with several rounds of diplomacy carried out in Doha and Cairo.
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© Agence France-Presse
