Hamas has rejected new conditions put forward by Israel during the talks on a potential ceasefire in Gaza, diminishing chances for a thawing of tensions in the Middle East.
Ten months on, Israel is not ready to end its military campaign in the Palestinian territory unless Hamas releases the remaining hostages taken by the militant group’s October 7 attack.
The talks are mediated by the United States, Qatar and Egypt. One of the major issues raised by Hamas is the Israel’s refusal to withdraw from the 14.5km-long Philadelphi Corridor along Gaza’s Egyptian border in the south.
“We will not accept discussions about retractions from what we agreed to on July 2 or new conditions,” Hamas official Osama Hamdan told a local TV news channel. He was referring to the Hamas’s July agreement to begin talks on hostage release.
Though White House said progress has been made in the latest round of talks, Hamas dismissed any hope in resuming the on-off ceasefire unless its demands are met. Hamas had said that they would not engage in talks directly and instead meet with senior Egyptian officials for updates.
