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Worldwide hopes at reaching a cease-fire within the Gaza Strip earlier than the Muslim holy month of Ramadan have been dashed on Sunday, hours earlier than Palestinians and different Muslims have been to start the month of daytime fasting, as Hamas repeated calls for for a complete cease-fire, which Israel has rejected.
Egypt, Qatar and the US had sought to dealer a truce between Israel and Hamas earlier than the beginning of Ramadan on Monday, and there had been optimism for a last-minute deal that might permit for the discharge of some Israeli hostages held in Gaza and Palestinians held in Israeli prisons.
However weeks of oblique negotiations have stalled, and a high Hamas political chief, Ismail Haniyeh, mentioned in a televised speech on Sunday that Hamas wished an settlement that might finish the battle, assure the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza, return displaced Palestinians to their houses and supply for the humanitarian wants of Gazans.
Israel “desires to get its prisoners again after which resume the battle on our folks,” he mentioned.
Mr. Haniyeh mentioned if the mediators have been to tell Hamas that Israel was dedicated to ending the battle, withdrawing from Gaza and allowing the return of displaced folks to the north, then the Islamist group could be prepared to indicate flexibility on the difficulty of exchanging Palestinian prisoners for hostages.
“The enemy should perceive that it’ll pay a value on the difficulty of an trade, however the high precedence is defending our folks, ending the aggression and massacres, returning the displaced folks to their houses, and opening a political horizon for our concern and folks,” he mentioned.
Some Palestinians in Gaza have criticized Hamas, arguing the group was holding up negotiations as a way to press Israel into liberating extra Palestinian prisoners.
In an interview with Politico that was revealed on Sunday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel advised a cease-fire was not imminent, saying that he would “wish to see one other hostage launch” however that there had not been a breakthrough in negotiations.
“And not using a launch, there’s not going to be a pause within the preventing,” he mentioned.
Israel has mentioned it should wipe out Hamas’s navy and governing talents in Gaza earlier than agreeing to finish the battle. It additionally has mentioned a key aim of the battle was the return of all of the hostages taken within the Hamas-led assault on Israel on Oct. 7.
On Friday, David Barnea, the chief of the Mossad, Israel’s intelligence company, met with the C.I.A. director, William J. Burns, in an effort to advance a deal to launch hostages, the Israeli spy company mentioned. The Mossad accused Hamas of looking for to inflame the area on the expense of Palestinians in Gaza, however mentioned that ongoing talks have been aimed narrowing the gaps between Israel and Hamas.
In an interview with MSNBC on Saturday, President Biden mentioned that he remained hopeful that the US might nonetheless assist dealer a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas as Ramadan approached, kicking off a month of household celebrations and nightly feasts.
“I believe it’s all the time doable,” Mr. Biden mentioned.
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