Netanyahu's New Conditions Delay Gaza Cease-fire, Says Hamas

GAZA CITY, Palestine, July 30 (Bernama-Anadolu) -- Palestinian resistance group Hamas blamed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday of hindering efforts to reach a cease-fire agreement in the Gaza Strip, Anadolu Agency reported. 

"Netanyahu has once again returned to the strategy of procrastination, delay, and evasion by setting new conditions and demands,” Hamas said in a statement.

The group said it was informed by mediators of an Israeli paper presented during a meeting in Rome, Italy, to explore efforts to reach a cease-fire and prisoner swap deal.

Netanyahu's new conditions "entail a retraction of what the mediators conveyed previously,” it said, without providing details about these conditions.

On Sunday, Israel's Mossad chief David Barnea, CIA Director William Burns, Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani and Egyptian intelligence chief Abbas Kamel met together in Rome to discuss efforts for a Gaza cease-fire and prisoner swap.

Media reported that the new Israeli conditions include a mechanism to screen Palestinians returning to northern Gaza, to maintain troops along the Gaza-Egypt border area, known as Philadelphi Corridor, and to receive a list of names of Israeli captives to be released in advance.

Indirect talks between Israel and Hamas mediated by the United States, Qatar, and Egypt have failed to agree on a permanent cease-fire that allows a prisoner swap between Israelis and Palestinians.

So far, efforts by the three countries to mediate an agreement between Israel and Hamas have been hampered by Netanyahu's rejection of Hamas' call to halt hostilities.

Flouting a United Nations Security Council resolution demanding an immediate cease-fire, Israel has faced international condemnation amid its continued brutal offensive on Gaza since Oct. 7 attack.

-- BERNAMA-ANADOLU