Cairo-based Hamas official Moussa Abu Marzouk says Egypt is the only country that can broker a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, but that he will not agree to have Hamas’s actions described as terror activities, as the Egyptian initiative proposes.
In an interview with Egyptian TV cited by Israel Radio, Abu Marzouk says Hamas and other organizations in the Gaza Strip feel that they have the upper hand, intimating that they are in no rush.
Abu Marzouk confirms that most of the homes hit by the IDF in Operation Protective Edge belong to Hamas members.
The Hamas official called Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu defeatist and a coward, and said the Israeli leader chose to put boots on the ground after he failed to achieve anything from the air.
He added that Netanyahu has sent him almost two dozen messages via mediators, expressing an interest in a ceasefire.
Egypt says it has no intention of amending the terms of its proposed ceasefire, submitted on Tuesday.
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From the Liveblog of
Saturday, July 19, 2014
