Hamas chief stresses lifting Gaza blockade as prelude to durable peace

Hamas Chief Khalid Mashal underlined that a lasting truce must entail the lifting by Israel of its blockade of the Gaza Strip and completion of Gaza's airport and port construction projects

"The resistance will not give up its demands which include an end to the Israeli attacks, end of the Gaza siege and construction of airport and port in the Gaza Strip," the Arabic-language Youm Al-Sabe quoted Mashal as saying.
Mashal expressed the hope that the ceasefire talks would end with positive results today, but meantime stressed that "we want our demands to be met".
He noted that the final goal Hamas insists on is having the demands of Palestinians met and removal of the Gaza blockade.
"In the case of Israeli procrastination or continued aggression, Hamas along with other Palestinian factions will be ready to stand on its ground and face all possibilities," he said.
Over 2,000 Gazans, mostly women and children, have been killed and over 11,000 others were severely wounded in the Israeli forces' war against the Strip since July 8.
On Wednesday night, the Israeli officials and Palestinian Resistance Movement Hamas agreed to extend ceasefire for five days ending on Monday midnight.