US not serious about ending Gaza war, says Hamas official
Mahmoud Taha, an official at the Hamas media office in Beirut, was speaking after US President Donald Trump asserted that Israel is moving towards a ceasefire.
Mr Taha described Washington's policy as a 'blatant contradiction, clear lies, and hypocrisy' in light of violence on the ground.
Mr Trump said on Tuesday that Israel has agreed to the 'necessary conditions' to finalise a 60-day truce. During that period, 'we will work with all parties to end the war', he said on his Truth Social platform.
'The Qataris and Egyptians, who have worked very hard to help bring peace, will deliver this final proposal,' Mr Trump said. 'I hope, for the good of the Middle East, that Hamas takes this deal, because it will not get better – it will only get worse.'
Mr Trump also said he would be 'very firm' with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who will visit Washington next week, on the need to end the 20-month conflict.
However, Mr Taha said Hamas officials 'do not trust these statements because the reality on the ground contradicts what they are saying in the media'.
He said no official proposal had yet been put forward for a ceasefire.
Trump says he hopes for Gaza ceasefire 'sometime next week'
'They talk about a proposal and a potential ceasefire next week, while at the same time Trump is sending a multi-million-dollar weapons deal to Israel to kill children and women. How does that make sense?' Mr Taha said.
'The US administration is not serious about ending the aggression on Gaza and bears direct responsibility for supporting and participating in the massacres. The death toll is rising daily.'
Contact between Hamas and Israel on one side and mediators from Egypt, Qatar and the US on the other has increased over the past week in Cairo. The objective is to find enough common ground to hold another round of talks, sources have told The National.
A senior Israeli official, Ron Dermer, has also been in Washington holding discussions.
Hamas officials previously told The National that the group was engaging positively with the mediators, but that the fate of a possible ceasefire lies in the talks between the US and Israel.
Mr Taha reiterated that message on Wednesday. 'We hope to reach an agreement that ends the aggression and leads to the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza as soon as possible,' he said. 'But the issue lies with the Israeli side and with the US administration, which is aligned with Netanyahu and his fascist government.'
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