Doha:
Hamas political head Ismail Haniyeh on Sunday accused Israel's prime minister of sabotaging the efforts of mediators involved in ongoing talks aimed at a ceasefire and hostage crisis in Gaza.
Qatar-based Haniyeh said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wanted to “constantly create justifications for the continuation of aggression, widen the circle of conflict and sabotage the efforts of various mediators and parties.”
Qatari, Egyptian and American mediators met a Hamas delegation in Cairo on Saturday in the latest attempt to halt the devastating nearly seven-month war that has sparked global protests.
A senior Hamas source close to the negotiations told AFP that “a new round of talks” would take place on Sunday.
Negotiators seeking to end the devastating war have proposed an initial 40-day pause in fighting and a hostage exchange for Palestinian prisoners.
Haniyeh said Hamas had approached the talks with “seriousness and positivity” but doubted “the meaning of an agreement if a ceasefire is not the first outcome.”
Netanyahu had previously rejected Hamas' demands to end the war.
Israel was “not ready to accept a situation where the Hamas battalions come out of their bunkers, retake control of Gaza, rebuild their military infrastructure and return to threaten the citizens of Israel,” he said.
Egypt, Qatar and the United States have been trying to mediate between Israel and Hamas for months.
The Qatar-based leader of Hamas's political bureau said the United States had “covered this occupation and should be the one to stop it instead of providing it with weapons of destruction and extermination.”
Haniyeh added that Hamas “remains keen to reach a comprehensive and interconnected agreement in phases, ending aggression, ensuring withdrawal and reaching a serious prisoner exchange agreement.”
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