Hamas rejected an Israeli offer of safe passage out of the Gaza Strip in exchange for the group laying down its arms and releasing the hostages, the Wall Street Journal reported on Friday.
According to the report, Mossad chief David Barnea, Israel’s top negotiator in the hostage-deal and ceasefire talks, made the offer.
Citing Arab mediators involved in the discussions, the WSJ reported that Hamas quickly turned the proposal down after it was initially pitched during a meeting between Barnea and Egyptian officials.
Responding to the rejected offer, the WSJ reported that Hamas deputy political bureau chairman and the terror group’s top negotiator, Khalil al-Hayya, said Israel misunderstood Hamas and that it was capable of continuing the war for months or years.
On Friday, the UK-based Qatari newspaper Al-Araby al-Jadeed reported that al-Hayya had been in Cairo the day prior to discuss Egyptian and American hostage deal proposals.
End to the 'genocide' reportedly must precede negotiations
According to the Qatari news organization, the Hamas official stated that an end to what he termed the "genocide" being carried out in the northern part of the Gaza Strip was a prerequisite to any movement towards negotiations.
Barnea’s efforts in securing a hostage deal are ongoing despite the reported Hamas rejection of a deal.
The Mossad chief is set to arrive in Doha, Qatar, on Sunday to join high-level negotiations held by CIA Director William Burns. They would be the first such negotiations in nearly two months.
Earlier this month, US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller reported that Hamas had refused to take part in ceasefire negotiations for weeks.
Nevertheless, one source told The Jerusalem Post on Thursday that Barnea has “been working under the radar” on a new deal “together with the Qataris, the Americans, and the Egyptians.”
Tovah Lazaroff, Hannah Sarisohn, and Joanie Margulies contributed to this report.