As the war in Gaza rages on and truce talks back on the table, Hamas has refused to agree to any deal, unless it guarantees to bring the war to an end. As per the latest reports, Hamas officials have stated that they will not agree to any hostage or truce deal with Israel that does not explicitly include a clause for a permanent ceasefire and end of the war.
As per the last round of truce talks, Israel proposed a truce deal, which was then sent for consideration to the Palestinian militant group. However, Hamas has stated time and again that it will only agree to the truce if Israel pulls out of Gaza.
"Hamas will not agree under any circumstances to an agreement that does not explicitly include a cessation of the war on Gaza," a senior Hamas official told AFP reporters on the condition of anonymity.
"There will be no agreement without a complete cessation of the war and the withdrawal of the occupation from the entire Gaza Strip," the official added further.
However, as Hamas continues to push for an end to the war, Israeli officials have stated that this demand is "thwarting the possibility of reaching an agreement".
Mediator countries - Egypt, the United States and Qatar - have been waiting for a response from Hamas regarding the Israeli proposal for truce. This proposal would result in a pause of 40 days and exchange of hostages and Palestinian prisoners.
However, Hamas continues to shut down any deals that do not call for an end to the war.
Meanwhile, Israel continues to prepare for its attack on Rafah. With no date for the assault, the Israeli government remains firm in its demand to launch a military operation into the southern Gaza city has part of its vow to "Eliminate the terror group".
Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has also stated that Israel will pursue its attack on Rafah "with or without" a truce deal with Hamas.
Since October 7, 2023, over 34,500 Palestinians have been killed due to Israeli bombardment in the densely populated Gaza Strip. Despite pleas from the international community to scale back its offensive, Israel has shown no signs of doing so.
The Israel-Hamas war saw a truce in November 2023. The ceasefire was called for four days and later extended by one day each for a week. During this truce, over 100 hostages were released by Hamas in exchange for nearly 300 Palestinian men and women imprisoned by Israel.
