By Jana Choukeir, Nidal al-Mughrabi and Maytaal Angel
DUBAI/CAIRO/JERUSALEM (Reuters) – The Palestinian group Hamas and Israel traded blame on Wednesday for their failure to complete a ceasefire agreement despite progress reported by both sides in the past days.
Hamas said Israel had set some conditions, while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused the group of going back on an understanding that had already been reached.
“The occupation imposed new conditions related to the withdrawal, cease-fire, prisoners, and the return of displaced persons, which has delayed reaching the existing agreement,” Hamas said.
It added that it showed flexibility and that the talks, held by Qatar and Egypt, were serious.
Netanyahu responded in a statement: “The terrorist organization Hamas continues to lie, revises the understanding that has already been reached, and continues to create difficulties in negotiations.”
Israel, however, will continue its relentless efforts to return the hostages, he added.
Israeli negotiators returned to Israel from Qatar on Tuesday evening to discuss a holding agreement after a crucial week of talks, Netanyahu's office said on Tuesday.
US and Arab mediators, Qatar and Egypt have stepped up efforts to conclude a partial agreement in the past two weeks. One of the challenges has been agreements regarding the deployment of Israeli troops.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz, speaking to commanders in southern Gaza, said on Wednesday that Israel would maintain control of the enclave's security, including safe havens and command posts.
Hamas wants an end to the war, while Israel says it wants to end the Hamas regime first, to ensure that it will no longer be a threat to Israel.
ISRAEL KEEPING UP MILITARY PRESSURE
Meanwhile, Israeli forces maintained pressure on the northern Gaza Strip, in one of the most devastating operations of the 14-month war, including around three hospitals on the northern edge of the enclave, Beit Lahiya, Beit Hanoun and Jabalia.
The Palestinians accuse Israel of wanting to permanently evacuate people from northern Gaza to create a safe zone. Israel denies this and says it has ordered people to leave the areas for safety while its forces battle Hamas rebels.
Israeli strikes killed at least 24 people across Gaza on Wednesday, health officials said. Another strike hit homes that used to be sheltered from a Gaza school in the town of Sheikh Radwan, they added.
The Israeli army said it struck Hamas forces operating in the Al-Furqan area of Gaza City.
Many Palestinians were killed and wounded in the Al-Mawasi area, an Israeli-designated humanitarian zone in southern Gaza, where the army said it targeted another Hamas operation.
The war was caused by Oct. Oct. 7 7, 2023 attack on southern Israel, where 1,200 people were killed and 251 were arrested in Gaza, according to the Israelis.
Israel's campaign against Hamas in Gaza has already killed more than 45,300 Palestinians, according to health officials in the Hamas-run enclave. Most of the 2.3 million inhabitants have been displaced and most of Gaza is in ruins.
(This story has been corrected to change the date to Wednesday in paragraph 9)