People attend a rally to ask for 'the end of the genocide against Palestine people', and the suspension of weapon trade with Israel, in Barcelona, Spain, 25 February 2024. Thousands of Israelis and Palestinians have been killed since the militant group Hamas launched an unprecedented attack on Israel from the Gaza Strip on 07 October 2023, and the Israeli strikes on the Palestinian enclave which followed it. EPA-EFE/Marta PerezTalks, mediated by among others Egypt and Qatar, to arrange a ceasefire between Israel and the Islamist movement in the Gaza war have repeatedly stalled with both sides blaming the other for the lack of progress.
The latest Hamas statement came as Israel pressed on with an offensive on the southern Gaza city of Rafah, despite an order by the International Court of Justice (ICJ), the top U.N. court, to halt the attacks.
"Hamas and the Palestinian factions will not accept to be part of this policy by continuing (ceasefire) negotiations in light of the aggression, siege, starvation and genocide of our people", the Hamas statement read.
"Today, we informed the mediators of our clear position that if the occupation stops its war and aggression against our people in Gaza, our readiness (is) to reach a complete agreement that includes a comprehensive exchange deal," it added.
Israel has rejected past Hamas offers as insufficient and said it is determined to wipe out a group bent on its destruction. It says its Rafah offensive is focused on rescuing hostages and rooting out Hamas fighters.
Nearly 36,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israel's offensive across all of Gaza, the health ministry there says. Israel launched the operation after Hamas-led militants attacked southern Israeli communities on Oct. 7 last year, killing around 1,200 people and seizing more than 250 hostages, according to Israeli tallies.
(Reporting by Ahmed Tolba, Writing by Yomna Ehab, Editing by Andrew Heavens)
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