Hamas publicly set its terms on Wednesday for a truce with Israel, calling for an end to Israeli raids in Palestinian territory and a reopening of Gaza Strip border crossings. "There must be a commitment by Israel, to end all its aggression against our people, assassinations, killings and raids, and lift the (Gaza) siege and reopen the crossings," Hamas' leader in the Gaza Strip Ismail Haniyeh said in a speech.
A ceasefire deal, he said, should be "reciprocal, comprehensive and simultaneous" and apply both to the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip and the West Bank. "We will not abandon you, our people in the West Bank," Haniyeh stated. "Aggression against you is aggression against us."
"There are efforts by the Egyptian brothers who are working on this issue," Haniyeh said. "We as Palestinians are waiting for the Israeli answers. The ball is in Israel's court."
