CAIRO: 08 The Palestinian militant group Hamas and Israel traded blame on Wednesday over their failure to conclude a ceasefire agreement despite progress reported by both sides in past days.
Hamas said that Israel had laid down further conditions, while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused the group of going back on understandings already reached. “The occupation has set new conditions related to withdrawal, ceasefire, prisoners, and the return of the displaced, which has delayed reaching the agreement that was available,” Hamas said.
It added that it was showing flexibility and that the talks, mediated by Qatar and Egypt, were serious. Netanyahu countered in a statement: “The Hamas terrorist organization continues to lie, is reneging on understandings that have already been reached, and is continuing to create difficulties in the negotiations.”
Israel will, however, continue relentless efforts to return hostages, he added.
Meanwhile, Israeli strikes killed at least 24 people across Gaza on Wednesday, health officials said. One strike hit a former school sheltering displaced families in Gaza City’s suburb of Sheikh Radwan, they added. The Israeli military said it struck a Hamas militant operating in the area of Al-Furqan in Gaza City.