Hamas won't agree to ceasefire that does not end war: Official

NEW DELHI: Hamas, "under any circumstances", would not agree to any Gaza ceasefire that does not involve a complete end to the war, a senior official said on Saturday.
"Hamas will not agree under any circumstances to an agreement that does not explicitly include a cessation of the war on Gaza," the official who refused to be named said, AFP reported.
"There will be no agreement without a complete cessation of the war and the withdrawal of the occupation from the entire Gaza Strip," the official added.
This came hours after an Israeli officer said that Hamas's refusal to abandon its demand to halt the war was "thwarting the possibility of reaching an agreement".
The comments come as Hamas negotiators returned to Egypt on Saturday to respond to a proposed truce in the almost seven-month-old conflict. According to the officials, the talks ended with "no developments."
According to information provided by Britain, mediators from Egypt, Qatar, and the United States are waiting for Hamas to reply to a proposal that would halt conflict for 40 days and exchange hostages for Palestinian detainees in Israeli jails.
Calling Israeli PM Netanyahu's stance on sending ground soldiers into Rafah as the main stumbling point in ceasefire talks, Hamas official said, "We are eager to reach an agreement, but not at any cost," further adding "full responsibility for insisting on entering Rafah instead of ceasing the aggression".