Hamas militants have expressed disappointment over Israel's rejection of a ceasefire plan proposed by mediators during negotiations in Cairo, stating that it has set back hostage release discussions to square one. In a statement released in English on Friday, the Palestinian militant group indicated that it had agreed to the plan in a responsible manner, aiming to achieve a permanent ceasefire.
Hamas highlighted its willingness to be flexible by accepting the terms of the deal, which included the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza, the repatriation of displaced civilians, and the exchange of hostages for Palestinian prisoners as part of the permanent ceasefire agreement.
The group accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of impeding the ceasefire talks and using negotiations as a pretext to launch an attack on the southern Gaza city of Rafah. Hamas placed the blame squarely on Netanyahu for obstructing the agreement with the mediators, attacking Rafah, and seizing control of the Rafah crossing. Consequently, Hamas leadership announced plans to consult with other Palestinian resistance factions to reassess their negotiation strategy.
Following the departure of Israeli and Hamas negotiating teams from the Cairo talks without reaching a consensus on the terms of a ceasefire and hostage release deal, Israel has consistently refused to entertain the idea of a permanent ceasefire in Gaza until Hamas is defeated, regardless of the release of all hostages.
