A member of the Hamas political bureau has accused Israel of trying to evade negotiations for a ceasefire and prisoner exchange. Husam Badran added on Wednesday that the occupation regime is trying to distract attention from this obvious fact.

“We are keen to reach an agreement to stop the war, and our communication with the mediators continues,” explained Badran. “We exchanged some ideas with the mediators aiming to stop the war and agree on a comprehensive [Israeli] withdrawal from the Gaza Strip.”

He noted that the “enemy” knows that putting pressure on the movement’s leadership and constant threats is of no use. “We are the party most keen to end the war, and we are most concerned with achieving the basic demands of our people, upon which there is a national consensus.” The Hamas official also accused the Biden and earlier administrations in Washington of being “completely biased” in favour of the occupation state.

The New York Times cited officials on Tuesday, and said that Qatar has sent Hamas new amendments to the US proposal for a prisoner exchange deal.

Citing unnamed sources, however, Israel’s Kan channel reported that, “Hamas added a new condition to the negotiations, which is the army’s withdrawal from the Philadelphia axis along the Egyptian border with the Gaza Strip.”