No progress in Gaza ceasefire talks with Israel, Hamas official says

Senior Hamas official Osama Hamdan said on Saturday there has been no progress in ceasefire talks with Israel over the Gaza war.

The Palestinian group is still ready to "deal positively" with any ceasefire proposal that ends the war, Hamdan told a news conference in Beirut.

Arab mediators' efforts, backed by the United States, have so far failed to conclude a ceasefire.

Hamas says any deal must end the war and bring full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, while Israel says it will accept only temporary pauses in fighting until Hamas, which has ruled Gaza since 2007, is eradicated.

Hamdan also blamed the United States for applying pressure on Hamas to accept Israel's conditions.

"Once again, Hamas is ready to deal positively with any proposal that secures a permanent ceasefire, a comprehensive withdrawal from Gaza Strip and a serious swap deal," said Hamdan, referring to a potential swap of captives held in Gaza for Palestinians in Israeli prisons.

Israel's war on Gaza has so far killed nearly 38,000 people, according to the Palestinian enclave's health ministry, and has left the heavily built-up coastal enclave in ruins.

When Hamas-led militants stormed into southern Israel on 7 October, they killed around 1,200 people and more than 250 captives were seized, according to Israeli tallies.

(Reuters)