Hamas has rejected a proposed interim peace agreement in Gaza, instead demanding a comprehensive deal that includes the release of all hostages in exchange for an end to the war. They also called for the release of Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails, according to a report by Reuters.
In a televised statement, senior Hamas official Khalil al-Hayya stated that Hamas will no longer agree to any temporary agreements. Instead, the group is ready to engage in full negotiations covering a ceasefire in Gaza, reconstruction efforts, and the exchange of all prisoners between Palestine and Israel.
Analysts believe Israel is unlikely to accept these demands, potentially delaying the end of the conflict.
Al-Hayya accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of using the war and destruction in Gaza to achieve political goals. He said Israel uses partial agreements to hide its true intentions and suggested that the Israeli government is even willing to sacrifice its own hostages to serve its agenda. “We will not be part of this game,” he added.
In response, U.S. National Security Council spokesperson James Hewitt criticized Hamas, saying their statements show they are not interested in peace and only seek to prolong violence. He reiterated that the Trump administration’s position remains unchanged: Hamas must release the hostages or face dire consequences.
After nearly 15 months of war, a temporary truce between Israel and Hamas was implemented in January, but it collapsed within two months. Egyptian mediators have since been trying to revive it, though with little progress due to mutual accusations.
Palestinian and Egyptian officials reported that recent talks held in Cairo on Monday, aimed at re-establishing a ceasefire and securing the release of Israeli hostages, yielded no significant results.
Israel had proposed a 45-day ceasefire, arguing it would create an opportunity to release the remaining hostages and begin indirect talks to end the war. However, Hamas rejected Israel’s condition for disarmament, insisting that remaining hostages would only be released as part of a full agreement to end the war.
Notably, under the terms of the January truce, Hamas had released 38 hostages. While Hamas expected discussions on ending the war, Israel instead proposed extending the ceasefire. Disagreements led to renewed Israeli attacks on Gaza over the past month. Israel now demands the release of 59 remaining hostages and the disarmament of Gaza before considering an end to the conflict—terms Hamas continues to reject, reaffirming its stance that only a comprehensive peace deal will prompt further hostage releases and disarmament.