Hamas says to continue negotiating till reaching full cease-fire

ISTANBUL

The Palestinian Hamas group on Wednesday said it will continue negotiating through mediators until reaching a permanent cease-fire in the Gaza Strip.

In a statement, Hamas said it showed "the required flexibility aimed at reaching a complete halt of the Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip."

Hamas, however, said Israel is evading the obligations of the deal on a permanent cease-fire, the withdrawal of Israeli troops from the Gaza Strip, the return of displaced Gazans to their homes in the north, as well as provisions for the needs of our people.

"The (Hamas) movement will continue to negotiate via our brotherly mediators to reach an agreement that fulfills our people’s demands and interests," the statement added.

The Hamas statement came following media reports that said negotiations in Cairo have ended without a breakthrough.

Late on Tuesday, the Egyptian state-run Al-Qahera News TV quoted a well-placed Egyptian source that said indirect talks between Hamas and Israel for a cease-fire deal in Gaza are still ongoing, but are facing "difficulties."

“The talks are still ongoing to reach a truce in Gaza before the fasting month of Ramadan,” said the Egyptian source, adding that further talks are to be held on Wednesday.

Ramadan, the holiest month in the Islamic calendar, is set to start next week.

A new round of talks for a Gaza cease-fire started in the Egyptian capital Cairo on Sunday with the participation of delegates from Egypt, Qatar, the US, and Hamas.

According to Israeli media, mediators seek to bridge differences between Israel and Hamas on the details of the Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, as well as the prisoners to be released from both sides.

Hamas is believed to be holding over 130 Israeli hostages since its Oct. 7 attack.

Israel has launched a deadly offensive on the Gaza Strip since Oct. 7, killing more than 30,600 and injuring over 72,000 others amid mass destruction and shortages of necessities.

The Israeli war has pushed 85% of Gaza’s population into internal displacement amid acute shortages of food, clean water, and medicine, while 60% of the enclave's infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed, according to the UN.

Israel stands accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice. An interim ruling in January ordered Tel Aviv to stop genocidal acts and take measures to guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza.

* Writing by Ahmed Asmar in Ankara.