The Palestinian group Hamas said on Sunday it was ready to “immediately” hold a fresh round of negotiations for a truce in Gaza after recent talks appeared to hit a dead end.
“The movement affirms its readiness to immediately begin a round of indirect negotiations to reach an agreement on the points of contention,” Hamas said in a statement after mediators Qatar and Egypt said they would intensify their efforts for a truce in the war-battered Gaza Strip.
Earlier Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty had said that his country is exerting maximum pressure to end the Israeli onslaught against the Gaza Strip, Al Jazeera reported.
“We are pressing with all our strength to end the war on Gaza, and we hope to reach an agreement to stop the bloodshed in Gaza as soon as possible,” Abdelatty said in a news conference in Cairo.
He stressed the “urgent need for unrestricted and full access of humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip”.
“It is unacceptable to use hunger as a weapon against the Palestinians in Gaza,” said Abdelatty.
Israel has kept all border crossings shut since March 2, cutting off the entry of food, medicine, fuel, and other essential supplies for Gaza’s 2.3 million residents.