Hamas said early on that the Israeli proposal it received from Qatari and Egyptian mediators did not meet any of the Palestinian factions’ demands.
However, the group added in a statement that it would study the proposal, which it described as “unyielding,” and submit its response to mediators.
A Hamas official told Reuters on Monday that the group had rejected an Israeli ceasefire proposal presented at talks in Cairo, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said a date had been set for an invasion of Rafah, the last refuge in Gaza for displaced Palestinians.
Israel and Hamas sent teams to Egypt on Sunday for talks that included Qatari and Egyptian mediators, as well as CIA Director William Burns.
Burns’ presence underscored mounting pressure from Israel’s main ally the US for a deal that would free Israeli hostages in Gaza and bring aid to Palestinian civilians in dire straits after six months of conflict.
But senior Hamas official Ali Baraka told Reuters: “We reject the latest Israeli proposals that we have been informed about by the Egyptian side. The Politburo met today and decided on it.”
