GAZA, May 6 (Xinhua) -- Hamas has ruled out entering any new ceasefire or prisoner exchange negotiations with Israel without firm guarantees that the war will end, a senior Hamas official said on Tuesday.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, the official told Xinhua, "Israel is exerting maximum pressure on Hamas to accept its controversial proposal for a temporary ceasefire in Gaza, only to resume hostilities later ... We will never accept such an agreement."
"We have officially conveyed our rejection to the mediators and made it clear that we will not engage in any negotiations unless there are guarantees that the war will come to a complete end," the official added.
He further accused Israel of employing starvation as a weapon of war in an attempt to force Hamas into concessions. "This form of collective punishment against Gaza's population will not serve Israel's objectives," the official said.
Israel halted the entry of goods and supplies into Gaza on March 2, following the expiration of the first phase of a January ceasefire agreement with Hamas. The UN has warned of an impending humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza, reporting increasing signs of acute hunger, particularly among children.
The UN said Israeli authorities were attempting to impose a new aid distribution system that would funnel humanitarian supplies through military-controlled hubs, rather than allowing UN agencies and NGOs to operate independently.
On Monday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the country would launch a new "intensive" offensive in the Strip, a plan approved by his security cabinet to escalate the ongoing campaign in Gaza.
Under the plan, Israel would expand the offensive to seize Gaza, control aid, and relocate the population to the south of the enclave.
Netanyahu said the goal was to "defeat Hamas and, in the process, secure the release of the hostages."
More than 52,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli strikes since October 2023, including about 2,500 who have died since Israel resumed its attacks on Gaza on March 18, marking the end of a two-month ceasefire. ■
