Hamas rejects latest Israeli Gaza ceasefire offer

Hamas has rejected Israel’s Gaza ceasefire offer, saying it failed to meet its demands.

The militant group, which has rejected several other ceasefire offers from Israel, said on Saturday it had submitted its response to the proposal to mediators from Egypt and Qatar, which it received last Monday.

Negotiations remain deadlocked after more than six months of war between Gaza and Israel, with Hamas insisting on its demands that any deal must end the war, withdraw Israeli troops and allow Gaza’s displaced Palestinians to return home.

Israel has previously said its immediate goal is to secure the release of hostages held by Hamas in the Oct. 7 attack that sparked off the conflict, saying it would not be able to destroy Hamas, which has controlled Gaza since 2007. It won’t end the war.

Hamas rejected the proposals in a statement, saying: “We reaffirm our insistence on our demands and the national demands of our people; a permanent ceasefire, the withdrawal of occupying forces from the entire Gaza Strip, and the return of displaced persons to their areas and places of residence , enhance the access of rescue and assistance and begin reconstruction.”

Israel wants to ensure the return of hostages taken by Hamas in the attack but says it will not stop fighting until Hamas’s military power is destroyed.

It also said it still planned attacks on the southern Gaza city of Rafah, where more than a million civilians have taken refuge.

Hamas said today (October 13) that it is ready to reach a prisoner-for-hostage agreement with Israel, in which 133 hostages believed to be still being held in Gaza will be released in exchange for hundreds of Palestinians imprisoned in Israel.

Israel has made no official comment on Hamas’ response.

Hamas’ statement came days after Israel killed several family members of the group’s leader Ismail Haniyeh in Gaza, raising concerns among the hostages’ families that it would undermine efforts to secure their release from Gaza. .

Speaking in Qatar a day after the killings, Haniyeh said his group was still seeking a deal but accused Israel of stalling and evading responses to the group’s demands.

As the war enters its seventh month, calls for a global ceasefire are growing, but talks have shown little sign of progress.

Additional reporting by Reuters.