JERUSALEM (Reuters) – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office denied on Wednesday that Hamas had agreed to the Gaza ceasefire proposal from Qatari mediators, following an Israeli official’s statement claiming the Palestinian militant group had given its approval.
Israeli media outlets had previously reported that, with the supposed consent of Hamas, the ceasefire agreement would be officially announced on Thursday and would be implemented on Sunday, with the initial release of hostages. However, the prime minister’s office contradicted these reports by stating that Hamas had not yet conveyed its response to the proposal.
“Contrary to reports, the Hamas terror organization has not yet provided its answer regarding the agreement,” the statement from the prime minister’s office clarified.
(Writing by James Mackenzie; Editing by Bernadette Baum and Peter Graff)
