Hamas Rejects Further Truce Talks Following Israel’s New Gaza Offensive Plan.

By Caroline Ameh

A senior Hamas official declared on Tuesday that the group has abandoned any further participation in truce negotiations with Israel, following the announcement of a new, intensified military campaign in Gaza by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

“There is no sense in engaging in talks or considering new ceasefire proposals as long as the hunger war and extermination war continue in the Gaza Strip,” said Basem Naim, a senior Hamas leader, in a statement to Agence France-Presse (AFP). He called on the international community to pressure Netanyahu’s government to halt what he described as “the crimes of hunger, thirst, and killings.”

Netanyahu unveiled the expanded offensive on Monday, emphasizing that Israeli forces would retain control over seized territories and implement widespread displacement of the Palestinian population as part of the military strategy. According to the Israeli military, the campaign will involve the evacuation of “most” Gaza residents from their current locations.

The statement from Hamas comes as Israeli airstrikes continue not only in Gaza but also in Yemen and Lebanon, expanding the scope of regional conflict. The fragile ceasefire that briefly held in mid-March has since collapsed, with Israel resuming its bombardment. Israeli forces now control more than 70% of the Gaza Strip, or have issued evacuation orders for large portions of the territory.

Hamas is still believed to be holding dozens of Israeli hostages captured during its surprise cross-border attack on October 7, 2023. Many of these hostages are presumed dead, though the exact numbers remain unconfirmed.