Palestinian terrorist group Hamas said on Sunday it had asked mediators to present a plan based upon past talks instead of engaging in new negotiations for a Gaza ceasefire deal.
They said they agreed to the proposal by the mediators on May 6 and welcomed the UN Security Council Resolution 2735 - which calls on the terrorist group to accept a ceasefire deal but then accused Israel of rejecting it and saying that the country is not serious about a ceasefire deal.
Hamas claims that they have been "keen to make the efforts of the mediators Egypt and Qatar successful to reach a ceasefire agreement."
They have also claimed to have "provided all the necessary flexibility and positivity in order to achieve the goals and interests of our people."
Claiming to have responded to negotiations
Hamas said that they've responded to negotiations proposed on July 2 and called on mediators to submit a plan to implement what they presented on that day based on US President Joe Biden's statements and the UN Security Council's resolution. They also urged mediators to pressure Israel to accept what they proposed.
Hamas then accuses Israel of "going to more rounds of negotiations or new proposals that provide cover for the occupation’s aggression and give it more time to perpetuate the war of genocide against our people."
An Israeli senior official who is involved in the negotiations claimed on Sunday that the Hamas announcement is "a tactical move in preparation for a possible attack by Iran and Hezbollah and to try to obtain better terms for the deal," Walla reported.
The Israeli senior official added, "If Hamas does not come to the table, we will continue to crush their forces in Gaza."
Reuters contributed to this report.