Hamas, Israel trade blame over delay in finalising Gaza truce deal

Hamas and Israel traded accusations on Wednesday over delays in finalising a ceasefire and hostage release agreement for Gaza, despite continued efforts by mediators to broker a deal in the latest round of negotiations.

Indirect talks between the two warring parties, mediated by Qatar, Egypt and the United States, have taken place in Doha in recent days, rekindling hope for a truce that has proven elusive.

On Wednesday, however, both sides accused the other of throwing up roadblocks to a deal.

"The ceasefire and prisoner exchange negotiations are continuing in Doha under the mediation of Qatar and Egypt in a serious manner... but the occupation has set new conditions concerning withdrawal (of troops), the ceasefire, prisoners, and the return of displaced people, which has delayed reaching an agreement," Hamas said in a statement.

Israel claimed however that the Palestinian group that was creating "new obstacles" to an agreement.

"The terrorist organisation Hamas is once again lying, reneging on understandings already reached, and continuing to create new obstacles in the negotiations," said a statement from the office of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Israel has repeatedly scuppered attempts to reach an agreement in recent months, vowing to "destroy Hamas" and insisting on maintaining a military presence at the Netzarim Junction in central Gaza and on the Gaza-Egypt border.

Hamas has insisted on a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza.

The latest accusations came after Netanyahu told the Israeli parliament on Monday that there had been "some progress" in the talks.

On Tuesday, his office said Israeli representatives had returned from Qatar after "significant negotiations".

Last week, Hamas and two other Palestinian groups -- Islamic Jihad and the leftist Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine - said in a rare joint statement that a ceasefire agreement was "closer than ever", provided Israel did not impose new conditions.

'Bring them back, Netanyahu'

On Wednesday, some relatives of hostages still being held in Gaza urged Netanyahu to reach a deal to bring their loved ones home.

"It's time to bring them back, Netanyahu. It's up to you... It's about time, don't wait," said Sharon Sharabi, whose two brothers were abducted during the Hamas attack on October 7 last year, reading out a statement at Tel Aviv's Hostages Square.

The Israeli military has confirmed that one of the two abducted brothers died in captivity.

Efforts to strike a truce and hostage release deal have repeatedly failed over key stumbling blocks.

Despite numerous rounds of indirect talks, Israel and Hamas have agreed just one truce in the more than 14 months of war, which lasted for a week at the end of 2023.

That truce facilitated the release of 80 Israelis held by Hamas and other groups in Gaza in exchange for 240 Palestinians detained in Israeli jails.

Another 25 hostages, mostly Thai farm workers, were also released from captivity.

Negotiations have faced multiple challenges since then, with the primary point of disagreement being the establishment of a lasting ceasefire in Gaza.

Another unresolved issue is the governance of post-war Gaza, which remains highly contentious, including within the Palestinian leadership.

Israel has said repeatedly that it will not allow Hamas to run the territory ever again.

In an interview with The Wall Street Journal last week, Netanyahu said: "I'm not going to agree to end the war before we remove Hamas."

He added Israel is "not going to leave them in power in Gaza, 30 miles from Tel Aviv. It's not going to happen."

Netanyahu has also repeatedly stated that he does not want to withdraw Israeli troops from the Philadelphi Corridor, a strip of land cleared and controlled by Israel along Gaza's border with Egypt.

The war in Gaza was sparked by Hamas's unprecedented October 7 attack on Israel, during which 251 hostages were seized.

Ninety-six of them are still being held in Gaza, including 34 the army says are dead.

The attack resulted in 1,208 deaths on the Israeli side, according to Israeli figures.

Israel's indiscriminate military campaign has killed at least 45,361 people in Gaza, a majority of them women and children, and utterly devastated the territory.