Hamas official accuses Israel of blocking ceasefire talks

Hamas official Osama Hamdan has said that Israel is obstructing negotiations aimed at securing a ceasefire and the exchange of captives.

Speaking in an interview with Al-Aqsa TV, Hamdan condemned Israel’s refusal to meet key conditions set by Hamas for halting hostilities.

"We went to the maximum flexibility regarding the prisoners," Hamdan said, emphasising that Hamas was willing to negotiate if Israel agreed to cease its aggression, withdraw fully from Gaza, and allow for reconstruction efforts without preconditions.

However, he said that Israel continuously reneges on agreements made during the negotiations, particularly on the issues of withdrawal and stopping the violence.

Hamdan also condemned Israel’s attacks on hospitals, saying that the Israeli military is attempting to eradicate Palestinian presence in the region.

He called for unity within Palestinian ranks, insisting that confronting the occupation was a national duty, not the actions of outlaws, in reference to the actions of the Palestinian Authority, which is working with Israeli forces in the occupied West Bank to fight resistance groups.

The official also sharply criticised the Palestinian Authority’s security behaviour, urging Palestinian security forces to focus their efforts on resisting the occupation, as this was the only legitimate course of action.