Hamas says Israel still blocking ceasefire agreement

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By Nidal al-Mughrabi

CAIRO (Reuters) – A year since the start of the war in Gaza, Israel is still blocking a ceasefire agreement despite Hamas’ flexibility, Hamas chief negotiator and deputy Gaza chief Khalil Al-Hayya said in a speech shown on Hamas’ Aqsa television on Sunday.

Arab mediators Qatar and Egypt, backed by the United States, have so far failed to end disputes between the two warring sides and broker a ceasefire agreement that would end the war and see the release of Israeli and foreign hostages held in Gaza as well as many Palestinians jailed by Israel.

Hayya said that despite the flexibility on a ceasefire deal shown by Hamas, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his government continued to stall and undermine talks.

Israel and Hamas have traded blame for the failure so far to reach an agreement, with each accusing the other of making conditions that are impossible to meet.

Hayya said the group was not prepared to make concessions on its demands that Israel end the war, pull out its forces from Gaza, return internally displaced residents to their homes, and strike a prisoners-for-hostages deal.

Netanyahu has vowed the war can only end once Hamas is eradicated.

Monday marks the first anniversary of the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel that triggered the war in Gaza, and comes as Israel sharply escalates its campaign against Iranian-backed group Hezbollah in Lebanon.

Hayya accused the world of double-standards over Gaza and Lebanon, which he said would lead to more disruption and instability in the region.

Hamas attacked southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing 1,200 people and taking about 250 as hostages, according to Israeli tallies.

Israel’s subsequent military assault on Gaza has killed nearly 42,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s health ministry. It has also displaced nearly all of the enclave’s 2.3 million people, caused a hunger crisis, and led to genocide allegations at the World Court that Israel denies.

Palestinian health officials said on Sunday that Israeli military strikes across the Gaza Strip have killed dozens of Palestinians as Israeli forces sent tanks into areas in the north of the enclave and issued new evacuation orders.

Hayya reaffirmed the group’s standing behind the Oct. 7 attack on Israel, saying it put the Palestinian cause on top of the world agenda.

“We can say in full confidence, that the Palestine cause has become the prime cause in the world and all parties now realize that there can be no security and no stability in the region unless our people gain their full rights,” said Hayya.

(Reporting and writing by Nidal Al-Mughrabi. Additional reporting by Ahmed Tolba; Editing by Alexandra Hudson)