Hamas says reports of internal rift on proposed Gaza truce are 'misleading'

Hamas has denied reports that there were disagreements among its leaders regarding a deal which could see a pause to Israel’s war on Gaza.

Citing officials it said were familiar with the talks, The Wall Street Journal reported that sticking points remained between the Palestinian group's leaders on whether they can ask for more concessions to be made in any potential deal with Israel.

But a senior Hamas official who is part of the negotiating team told The New Arab, that reports about disagreements within the movement are "deliberately misleading."

The official, who wished to remain anonymous, said that the group was still studying certain terms of the deal that it objects to.

Hamas said earlier this week that it had received and was studying a new proposal for a ceasefire and release of hostages it is holding in Gaza.

Israel says just over 130 hostages are still being held in Gaza. They are among 253 taken by Hamas during its surprise attack on southern Israel on 7 October, according to official Israeli figures.

The ceasefire proposal followed talks in Paris involving intelligence chiefs from Israel, the United States and Egypt, with the prime minister of Qatar.

Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh went to Cairo on Thursday to discuss the deal, his first public trip there for more than a month.

The proposal would reportedly see a six-week pause to fighting.

Such a long pause would be a first since 7 October, when the war on Gaza started.

The deal would be similar to one reached in November that saw Israeli hostages still held in Gaza swapped for Palestinian prisoners. That deal lasted only a week.

The proposed deal has caused disagreements among the Israeli war cabinet ministers.

Israel's stated aim at the beginning of its operation was the destruction of Hamas, and some ministers are pressing for the war to continue until that goal is met.

During a cabinet session, ministers were told that the negotiations were still in their early stages and that there is not yet a draft agreement, according to Israeli media reports.

Israeli air and ground offensive in Gaza has killed over 27,000 people since 7 October, the vast majority of them civilians.