Promise To Continue Ceasefire Negotiations Even Without Israeli Representatives, Hamas: We Show Flexibility

The Israeli military in the Gaza Strip. (Source: Israel Defense Forces)

JAKARTA - Palestinian militant group Hamas said on Wednesday it was continuing its efforts to reach a ceasefire in Gaza with Israel, although there were no Israeli representatives in talks in Egypt.

Negotiations from militant groups Hamas, Qatar and Egypt are in Cairo trying to reach a 40-day ceasefire in the war between Israel and Hamas, ahead of the Holy Month of Ramadan which will begin early next week.

"We show the flexibility needed to achieve a comprehensive halt to aggression against our people, but the occupation (Israel) is still avoiding the rights of this agreement," Hamas said in a statement.

Meanwhile, Israeli forces, which aim to eradicate Hamas after its deadly attack on Israel on October 7, continued to bombard Gaza during three days of negotiations in Cairo, causing the terrible humanitarian situation in the Palestinian enclave to worsen.

"Every day we lose dozens of martyrs. We want a ceasefire now," said Shaban Abdel-Raouf, a Palestinian powerman and father of five children from Gaza City who is now in Khan Younis.

"Khan Younis is being burned to the ground, while America claims it wants to protect civilians. Israel has destroyed houses and streets for months while we hear false promises about the imminent ceasefire," he continued.

Residents in Qatar-funded residential districts in Khan Younis reported an all-night explosion from the air and land. Israeli warplanes also attacked areas in the Al-Nuseirat refugee camps and Deir Al-Balah City in central Gaza, as well as parts of the southern city of Rafah, witnesses said.

Separately, quoted from the Times of India, the Hamas-controlled Ministry of Health in Gaza said the death toll of Palestinians from Israeli attacks in the region as of Wednesday had reached 30,717, with 86 deaths and 113 injuries reported in the past 24 hours.