Israeli prime minister's office denies Hamas agreed to Gaza deal

Smoke rises from the northern Gaza Strip as seen from the Israel side of the border, near Sderot

Smoke rises from the northern Gaza Strip, amid the ongoing conflict in Gaza between Israel and Hamas, as seen from the Israel side of the border, near Sderot in southern Israel January 15, 2025. REUTERS/Amir Cohen

Source: REUTERS

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office denied on Wednesday that Hamas had agreed to the Gaza ceasefire proposal from Qatari mediators, after an Israeli official said the Palestinian militant group had given its approval.

Israeli media channels had reported that, following the green light from Hamas, the deal would be formally announced on Thursday and would come into effect on Sunday with the release of the first of the hostages.

However the prime minister's office said Hamas had not communicated its answer to the proposal.

"Contrary to reports, the Hamas terror organisation has not yet returned its response to the deal," the prime minister's office said.

This article was produced by Reuters news agency. It has not been edited by Global South World.

By Reuters