Hamas says it will dictate terms for Gaza ceasefire

Hamas inisists that it will set conditions for a ceasefire with Israel, as international diplomats work for a truce in the conflict in Gaza, which the Islamist movement controls. With US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon trying to organise a ceasefire, Hamas officials boasted Israel had failed to undermine its support among Palestinians. 

A Palestinian shouts in front of destroyed tunnels after an Israeli air strike in the border of southern Gaza Strip, 21 November, 2012 Reuters/Ibraheem Abu Mustafa

“We want calm with our conditions. We will impose a new deal on the occupation, to prevent them from returning back to assassinations, escalations and killing," Hamas spokesperson Fawzi Barhoum told the press prior to a visit by an Arab League delegation and the Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmad Daoud Oglo.

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Audio report - Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhoum

Ruth Michaelson in Gaza

Pictures of many of those killed by Israeli bombardments were on show at the press confernence, which was held   in a tent outside Gaza's Shifa hospital.

Barhoum was adamant that the human cost to Palestinians had been too great to cede to any Israeli demands.

“They are dependent on killing, massive killing, mass tragedy for the Palestinians in Gaza to impose their deal,” he said

And he insisted that Israeli attacks on the civilian population had increased support for his party.

“If they are unable to hit any Palestinian military factions, they hit the civilians, because they believe that more hits on civilians imposes a condition to the military faction and that it will make people revolt against Hamas and [its armed wing] Al Qassam," Barhoum told the media. "But what’s happened on the ground now is that all the Palestinians support the resistance and support Hamas and Al Qassam in this war.”

Six men accused of collaboration with Israeli forces were executed on Tuesday.

As the rocket siren sounded in Jerusalem once again, Barhoum said that there would be more attacks on Israel should attacks on Gaza continue.

“If they hit more and more Palestinians in Gaza, the Al Qassam brigades and the resistance will hit Tel Aviv in order to impose the occupation to put an end to this war.”