
As the ceasefire talks between Israel and Hamas reach the final stage, an Israeli diplomatic official accused the Palestinian militant group of making up false claims to try and avoid finalising a ceasefire hostage release deal, The Times of Israel reported.
“Hamas is making false claims that Israel added new conditions to the negotiations — in order to avoid executing the agreement,” the source told diplomatic reporters.
The Israeli and Arab mediators have pointed out that a deal is hours or days away from being signed in Qatar; however, no final agreement has been announced yet.
The Palestinian militant group has reportedly accepted a draft agreement on Tuesday for the deal.
The war began after Hamas attacked southern Israel on October 7, 2023, killing 1200 people and taking around 250 hostages. Following the attack, Israel retaliated with attacks on the Gaza Strip, and killed more than 64,000 people, according to a study published in The Lancet.
Officials from the US and Arab countries have also been key players in the ongoing negotiations.
Also read: Hamas accepts draft agreement for Gaza ceasefire, hostage deal; awaits Israel's approval: Report
The Israeli Air Force carried out airstrikes on more than 50 terror targets in the Gaza Strip over the past day, the military said.
The military further said that one of the strikes which was launched overnight, targeted a prominent terror operative who was operating out of a former school in Gaza City.
Also read:Hamas expected to release 33 hostages in first phase of emerging truce deal with Israel: Report
Further, other strikes hit Hamas operatives in Khan Younis and Deir-al-Balah, in Southern and central Gaza respectively, the IDF said.
Disclaimer: WION takes the utmost care to accurately and responsibly report conflicts in West Asia involving Israel, Iran, Syria, Iraq, and non-state actors like the Islamic State, among others. In this context, claims and counterclaims are being made online and offline. WION cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, social media posts, photos, and videos.
(With inputs from agencies)