In a brief statement, Hamas said it showed flexibility and responsibility during the cease-fire and prisoner exchange negotiations in Doha with Qatari and Egyptian mediation.
“The (Israeli) occupation set new issues and conditions related to withdrawal, cease-fire, prisoners, and the return of the displaced, which delayed reaching an agreement that was available,” it added.
There was no comment from the Israeli government on the Hamas statement.
On Tuesday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that an Israeli negotiating team would return from Qatar for consultations on a potential prisoner exchange deal with Hamas.
Observers, however, view Netanyahu‘s announcement as part of a pattern of delays in negotiations. Since the lone cease-fire in late November 2023, the Israeli prime minister has hinted at progress in talks for a prisoner swap and a potential cease-fire, only to later insist on continuing military operations in the Gaza Strip.
Israel is believed to hold more than 10,300 Palestinian prisoners, while approximately 100 Israeli captives are in Gaza. Hamas has said that dozens of the captives were killed in indiscriminate Israeli airstrikes.
“The gap between Israel and Hamas is not significant and allows for reaching an understanding,” Israeli daily Yedioth Ahronoth said on Tuesday.
Israel has continued a genocidal war on Gaza that has killed nearly 45,400 people, most of them women and children, since a Hamas attack on Oct. 7, 2023.
Last month, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
Israel is also facing a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its actions in Gaza.
