Ihsan Ataya, a member of the political bureau of the Islamic Jihad and the organization's representative in Lebanon, denies the reports that the Islamic Jihad has received a proposal for a long-term ceasefire with Israel.

In an interview with the Al-Rid news outlet Ataya said that in recent talks held by senior officials of the organization in Egypt, Israeli "aggression" in the Gaza Strip, the assassinations, the need to respond to any Israeli aggression, the Israeli blockade of the Gaza Strip and other issues related to the Palestinian problem were discussed.

"We are in an open war with the Israeli occupation. There is no cease-fire as some claim," Ataya said, adding that "the occupation only understands the language of force."

"The way of negotiation has failed, and we are a movement of struggle and will continue to struggle against the Israeli occupation, and everything that happens in the (West) Bank is the best proof of the continuation of the struggle."

According to him, the last campaign with Israel was but one round in the rounds of confrontation with the occupation. "We follow the path of struggle until the liberation of Palestine."

And in the meantime, Ayman Nofal, a member of the General Military Council of the al-Qassam Brigades (Hamas) and commander of the military liaison unit, says that the future confrontation with Israel will take place after a joint decision is made and at the discretion of the operational command group common to all Palestinian organizations.

In an interview with Al Jazeera, Nofal said that Israel must not be allowed to act unilaterally in one of the conflict areas in Gaza, the West Bank or in the "occupied areas" and on this basis the Palestinian organizations should take the initiative in order to thwart the Israeli policy.

According to Nofal, the leadership of the joint operations room understands the importance of creating multiple fronts of conflict against Israel, and in particular in Jerusalem, the "West Bank" and Arab majority communities in Israel.