A Palestinian woman along with a child stands in front of the rubble of houses destroyed by Israeli bombardment in Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip. Photo: AFP
Hamas will continue negotiations through intermediaries to reach a ceasefire agreement with Israel, the group said in a statement on Wednesday.
"Hamas has shown the necessary flexibility to reach an agreement for a comprehensive cessation of aggression against our people, but the occupation [Israel] continues to evade the obligations of this agreement, especially in achieving a permanent ceasefire and the return of displaced [Palestinians],” the statement added.
On Sunday, delegations from Hamas, Qatar, and the United States arrived in Egypt to resume a new round of negotiations for a truce in Gaza, aiming for a ceasefire before the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan starts on 10 or 11 March.
Israel, however, refused to participate in the negotiation meetings, requesting to have a list of live captives and know how many Palestinian detainees Hamas seeks in exchange for each.
The proposed plan on Monday aimed for a six-week ceasefire, the release of remaining captives in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners, and increased humanitarian aid to enter Gaza.
An Egyptian TV channel reported "significant progress" towards a truce deal at the time. However, Hamas insisted on a complete withdrawal of Israeli forces, while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu affirmed that the military will continue its campaign to destroy Hamas, including in the southern city of Rafah, where approximately 1.5 million Palestinians are currently residing.
Moreover, US President Joe Biden called on Hamas on Tuesday to accept a Gaza ceasefire deal by the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.
In the meantime, conditions continue to grow direr in Gaza.
The Palestinian health ministry in Gaza said Thursday that at least 30,800 people have been killed by Israel during the war, which entered its sixth month.
The latest toll includes 83 deaths over the past 24 hours, a ministry statement said, while 72,298 people have been wounded in Gaza since the Israeli war erupted on 7 October.
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