By Anadolu staff
JERUSALEM (AA) - An Israeli official said Tuesday that talks with the Palestinian resistance group, Hamas, on a cease-fire in the Gaza Strip in exchange for a hostage release are still ongoing.
“The negotiations are still ongoing and we have not received a negative response,” the official, who declined to be named, told Israeli public broadcaster, KAN.
There has been no comment by Hamas on the claim.
Western media reports said earlier that Hamas had rejected an Israeli offer for a two-month pause in fighting in return for a staged release of hostages.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke of an Israeli initiative Monday to secure the release of hostages held by Hamas but did not provide details.
Hamas is believed to be holding nearly 136 Israelis following its cross-border attack on Oct. 7.
Israel has since launched a deadly offensive against the Gaza Strip, killing at least 25,490 Palestinians and injuring 63,354 others. Nearly 1,200 Israelis are believed to have been killed in the Hamas attack.
Mediation efforts by Egypt, Qatar and the US have so far failed to secure the release of another group of hostages as Hamas demands an end to Israel’s deadly offensive against Gaza.
A deal in November saw the release of 81 Israelis and 24 foreigners in exchange for 240 Palestinians, including 71 women and 169 children.
The Israeli war has left 85% of Gaza’s population internally displaced amid acute shortages of food, clean water and medicine, while 60% of the enclave’s infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed, according to the UN.