This picture shows a camp for displaced Palestinians in Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip, on the eve of the Muslim holy fasting month of Ramadan. AFP
Despite weeks of talks involving US, Qatari and Egyptian mediators, the Muslim holy month of Ramadan began on Monday without the start of a widely expected truce and captive prisoner exchange.
"We are not near a deal, meaning that we are not seeing both sides converging on language that can resolve the current disagreement over the implementation of a deal," foreign ministry spokesman Majed al-Ansari told a news conference.
All parties were "continuing to work in the negotiations to reach a deal hopefully within the confines of Ramadan", Ansari said.
But he added that he could not "offer any timeline" on a deal and explained the conflict remained "very complicated on the ground".
Israel's brutal war and siege of Gaza has killed 31,112 Palestinians, mostly women and children, according to Gaza's health ministry.
Previously, Qatar and Egypt mediated a one-week break in the war in late November that led to the release of scores of Israeli and foreign captives, as well as aid entering the besieged Palestinian territory.
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