In Qatar, Haniyeh said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “wants new support to continue the aggression, expand the scope of the conflict and dismantle efforts by various mediators and parties.”
Mediators from Qatar, Egypt and the United States met a delegation of Hamas in Cairo on Saturday in renewed efforts to end the nearly seven-month-long devastating war. Protests against the war have begun around the world.
A senior Hamas source close to the talks told AFP that there would be a “new round” of talks on Sunday. Negotiators seeking to end the devastating war have proposed an initial 40-day pause in fighting and an exchange of Palestinian prisoners and hostages.
Haniyeh said Hamas had negotiated with “seriousness and positivity”. However, he questioned “what is the point of an agreement if a cease-fire is not its first consequence.”
Netanyahu rejected demands to end the war
Earlier, Netanyahu rejected Hamas’ demands to end the war. “Israel is not ready to accept a situation in which Hamas battalions come out of their bunkers, regain control of Gaza, rebuild their military infrastructure and come back and threaten Israeli civilians,” he said.
Egypt, Qatar and the US have been trying to broker a deal between Israel and Hamas for months.
The leader of Hamas’s political office in Qatar said the US “has provided cover for this business, it should stop it instead of providing weapons of destruction and destruction.”
Haniyeh said Hamas “is eager to reach a comprehensive and mutual agreement in stages, end aggression, ensure disengagement and achieve a serious prisoner exchange agreement.”