The Islamist Palestinian movement Hamas on Thursday said it will not negotiate any new conditions for a ceasefire or the release of hostages, as a new round of negotiations began in Qatar.
Osama Hamdan, a high-ranking Hamas official made this known on Thursday.
He said, “We in the Hamas movement do not see the need for a new agreement.
“More negotiations are no longer required, but rather an American decision to pressure Israel to accept’’ the proposal presented by U.S. President Joe Biden few months ago, he added.
A Hamas source earlier said the movement has made clear to mediators that it “will not accept more manoeuvering’’ by Israel.
Hamas said that the Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government is attempting to secure the release of 33 hostages in an initial phase.
Qatar, Egypt and the U.S. have been acting as mediators for months between Israel and Hamas.
Hamdan blamed the U.S. for failing to pressure Israel to agree to a deal.
“ In spite of efforts by Qatar and Egypt, the U.S. administration, while it made commitments and pledges.
“Could not succeed or perhaps did not want to in pressuring the occupation to abide by the initiatives it presented,’’ he said.
He added that Israel has always obstructed the negotiation process, by sending delegations unauthorised to negotiate, setting new conditions, and refusing to withdraw from the Philadelphi corridor
