Hamas says no hostage deal without IDF withdrawing

Here we have another episode in the ongoing drama of international relations, where accusations fly like confetti at a particularly fraught wedding. The Hamas spokesman, Osama Hamdan, has decided to take the stage in Algeria to cast some rather dramatic aspersions on none other than the U.S. Secretary of State, Antony Blinken.

Hamdan, with all the sincerity of a snake oil salesman, claims that Blinken is not just an observer but a "partner" in what he terms "the war of extermination" against Gazans. This, of course, is rich coming from a representative of an organization that has made no secret of its own intentions towards Israel.

"His statements are misleading and we do not trust them, and his partnership in the crimes against our people will be pursued legally,” Hamdan said, accusing the American foreign affairs chief of being “a partner in the war of extermination.”

The irony here is palpable. Hamas, which has long been accused of using its own civilians as human shields, now points the finger at Blinken, suggesting he's complicit in war crimes. This is akin to a burglar accusing the police of theft for catching him in the act.

On the matter of hostage negotiations, Hamdan remains as intransigent as ever. No compromise, no quarter, just a list of demands that would see Israel completely capitulate:

“Our stance is firm: A ceasefire, the Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, prisoner exchanges, and Gaza’s reconstruction—no Israeli conditions.”

It's a bit like negotiating with someone who insists you hand over your house keys before they'll even consider discussing the terms of the lease.

Furthermore, the vision of post-war Gaza according to Hamdan involves a "national committee" to govern, presumably one where Hamas would play a starring role. This, after years of conflict where their governance has been, to put it mildly, less than exemplary.

“We are determined to stop the aggression and for the enemy to withdraw from the Gaza Strip, and for relief and reconstruction to be without Israeli conditions,” Hamdan added. “We hope that this will be achieved as soon as possible.”

The hope here, one might cynically observe, is for a return to the status quo where Hamas can rebuild, rearm, and re-engage in hostilities when it suits them. The cycle of violence continues, with each side pointing to the other's actions as justification for their own.

Thus, we see the theatre of Middle Eastern politics in full swing, where accusations are weapons, demands are non-negotiable, and peace seems to be the one thing everyone agrees nobody really wants.

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