Senior Hamas official Taher el-Nono said that the ceasefire negotiations in the Gaza Strip have been stalled by a decision from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, reports the Middle East Monitor.
In a press statement on Thursday, el-Nono said that the last round of talks with Israel, held at the end of last month, was close to reaching a final agreement to end the assault on Gaza.
He added that the negotiations were halted by Netanyahu – who is wanted by the International Criminal Court on charges of committing war crimes in the Strip – with the support of US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, following the withdrawal of both the US and Israeli delegations.
El-Nono said that Netanyahu is misleading the Israeli public by claiming that the release of prisoners is his top priority, while he talks about occupying the Strip, refuses any return to the negotiating table, and puts obstacles in the way of negotiations.
He explained that Hamas is ready to immediately engage in negotiations once adequate aid and food supplies are allowed into Gaza, ending the starvation policy pursued by Israel.
El-Nono added that the Hamas leadership is “following up daily with our brothers in Qatar and Egypt, the mediators, on ensuring the entry of aid into the Gaza Strip in a sufficient and dignified manner,” noting that both countries are “making positive efforts to ensure the largest possible delivery of aid to our people in the Strip.”
