Hamas, the Palestinian terrorist group, has firmly rejected new Israeli conditions for a ceasefire in Gaza, according to a statement by senior official Osama Hamdan. Hamdan, speaking on Hamas-run Al-Aqsa TV on Sunday, reiterated the group’s adherence to a previous ceasefire proposal made in July and dismissed claims of an imminent deal as false.
While Hamas rejects the new terms, reports from Israeli Channel 12 suggest that negotiations in Cairo are progressing positively. Unnamed officials cited by the channel indicate that the Israeli negotiating team has returned to Israel and will brief Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on the next steps. The report also highlights the immense pressure facing Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar to accept a ceasefire agreement.
The United States, Egypt, and Qatar have been actively engaged in mediating a ceasefire between Hamas and Israel for months. The ongoing war, triggered by Hamas’s unprecedented attack on Israel on October 7, has had devastating consequences for Gaza. The conflict has displaced nearly the entire population of Gaza at least once, leading to a severe humanitarian crisis. The conflicting statements from both sides highlight the challenges involved in reaching a lasting ceasefire and underscore the complexities of the ongoing conflict.
