Gaza, MINA – Hamas has strongly denied a report from Israeli media that claimed the Palestinian group had suspended negotiations for a potential ceasefire and prisoner exchange deal with Israel, Anadolu Agency reported.
In a statement released on Friday, Hamas refuted the claim made by Yedioth Ahronoth, asserting that it continues to engage seriously with mediators such as Qatar and Egypt.
“We remain at the heart of the negotiations and continue to engage responsibly and seriously with the mediators, including Qatar and Egypt,” Hamas said in the statement, adding that it is still considering proposals related to a prisoner exchange and ending the war, including suggestions from US envoy Steve Witkoff.
The Yedioth Ahronoth report, citing a source involved in the mediation process, had suggested that Hamas halted talks following intensifying Israeli airstrikes on Gaza. The report also claimed that discussions about releasing Israeli captives had ceased and that Hamas was demanding a return to a previous agreement from several months ago.
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Hamas has been engaged in talks with Israel for the past 16 months, mediated by Qatar, Egypt, and the US, but these negotiations have not yet led to the release of all Israeli captives or an end to the ongoing conflict.
The stalemate is largely attributed to Israel’s repeated violations of agreements and the refusal of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to honor past commitments.
Since Tuesday, more than 700 Palestinians have been killed, and over 900 have been injured in Israeli airstrikes, marking a breakdown in a ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement reached in January.
Since the onset of the conflict in October 2023, nearly 50,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, have died, with over 112,000 more injured in the ongoing Israeli military campaign. []
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