Israel reiterated, on Wednesday, its refusal to stop the attack on Gaza in exchange for resuming prisoner-liberation talks with Hamas, after Qatar, which is participating in the mediation, said it had presented the Palestinian movement with a truce proposal supported by the United States.

Efforts to end the war that has been going on for nearly eight months in the Gaza Strip have faltered because Israel's declared goal is to eliminate Hamas as a ruling and military force, and Hamas has not shown any sign that it will concede and wants to stop the Israeli attack.

Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Galant said in statements reported by Israeli media after he boarded a plane to inspect the front in Gaza: “Any negotiations with Hamas will only take place under fire.”

For his part, Ismail Haniyeh, head of the Hamas political bureau, said in a statement today that the movement will deal “seriously and positively” with any ceasefire agreement based on a complete cessation of the war, a complete Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, and an exchange of Israeli and Palestinian prisoners.

In a related context, sources from the Hamas movement told Al-Arabiya and Al-Hadath channels that “Israel’s statements are contradictory” regarding the plan proposed by US President Joe Biden for a solution in Gaza.

The sources continued: “Israel rejected the previous proposal that we agreed to and attacked Rafah,” adding: “We want guarantees from Biden that Israel will agree to implement the proposed plan.”

The sources confirmed that “the paper that the mediators showed us does not include the positives that Biden talked about,” explaining that “the paper does not include the correct foundations.” It considered that "there is no meaning to any agreement that does not stipulate a permanent ceasefire and Israel's withdrawal."

The sources also warned of “the dangers of issuing a Security Council resolution before reaching an agreement.”