A senior Hamas official has said that Israel’s response to its latest ceasefire proposal was negative, following talks with mediators.
“On Tuesday evening, our brothers, the mediators, informed us of the occupation’s position on the proposal… it is a negative response in general and does not respond to the demands… In fact, it retracts the approvals it previously provided to the mediators,” Osama Hamdan said during a press conference in Beirut on Wednesday.
He said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his government were responsible for failing to negotiate an exchange deal involving Israeli captives and Palestinian prisoners.
Talks have taken place all this week in Qatar, but have failed to produce an agreement to stop the fighting.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu tells US Republican senators Israel will continue the war to defeat Hamas, with one senator saying, “He’s going to do what he said he’s going to do. He’s going to finish it.”
Israel’s raid on al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City enters its fourth day with dozens killed and displaced Palestinians sheltering there describing long detentions and abuse.
At least 31,923 Palestinians have been killed and 74,096 wounded in Israeli attacks on Gaza since October 7.
