The Palestinian militant movement Hamas on Wednesday accused Israel of imposing “new conditions” that are delaying the conclusion of a ceasefire agreement and the release of hostages. although it admitted that negotiations were still ongoing. Israel rejected the accusation and accused Hamas of lying and creating “new obstacles” to the conclusion of the agreement. TASR informs on the basis of AFP reports.
“Ceasefire and prisoner exchange negotiations continue in Doha, brokered by Qatar and Egypt… but the occupiers keep setting new conditions for the withdrawal (of units), a ceasefire, the exchange of prisoners and the return of people driven from their homes, which delay the achievement of an agreement.” the Palestinian militant movement Hamas said in a statement. However, Hamas did not specify the conditions imposed by Israel.
“The terrorist organization Hamas lies once again, violates the agreements already reached and continues to create new obstacles to negotiations,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office responded in a statement.
Indirect negotiations between Israel and Hamas, which were mediated by Qatar, Egypt and the United States, have been going on for several days in the Qatari capital of Doha. Thus, they revived the hope of reaching an agreement on a cease-fire and the release of prisoners, which has not been possible for a long time, writes AFP.
Netanyahu declared in the Israeli parliament on Monday, that the negotiations have “advanced to some extent”. On Tuesday, his office announced that Israeli representatives had returned from Qatar after “significant negotiations”.
Hamas, along with two other Palestinian militant groups, issued a statement last week saying it is reaching a cease-fire agreement “closer than ever before,” but on the condition that Israel does not set new conditions, reminds AFP.
A truce was reached and part of the hostages were released at the end of 2023. Lasted about a week, has failed several times since then. The main reasons for the failure of the negotiations are the inability to agree on the terms of a permanent cease-fire in the Gaza Strip and the question of the government in the territory after the war, which also divides the leadership of the Palestiniansreports AFP.
Israel’s military is waging war against Hamas in retaliation for an October 7, 2023 incursion by Palestinian commandos into southern Israel in which the militants killed 1,200 people. Israel’s military operation has so far claimed the lives of more than 45,000 residents of the Gaza Strip, most of them also non-soldiers, according to the Ministry of Health of the territory controlled by Hamas, whose data the UN considers reliable.
