Hamas says it is ready to negotiate with Israel
(VOVWORLD) - The leader of Hamas, Ismail Haniyeh, said Sunday that the group is still prepared to negotiate with Israel, despite the failure of intermediaries thus far to secure a ceasefire agreement during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.
 Image provided by the Israeli Ministry of Defense on December 17, 2023 shows Israeli soldiers investigating the tunnel system of the Hamas Movement recently discovered in the Gaza Strip. (Photo: Xinhua/VNA) |
Speaking on television as Muslim countries were announcing that Ramadan would begin on Monday, Haniyeh said Israel must take responsibility for the lack of a ceasefire agreement, adding that he had contacted intermediaries hours before making his statement, but got no response. Nonetheless, he said, Hamas remains open to more negotiations.
Mediators attempted to broker a ceasefire in the Gaza conflict before the start of Ramadan, but have not been successful. Hamas and Israel are blaming each other for the deadlock in the negotiations.