Hamas leader says group was ‘surprised’ that Israel pulled out of ceasefire talks

A senior Hamas leader says in a speech that there was progress made in talks with Israel and that the terror group was surprised by the Israeli withdrawal.

Khalil al-Hayya, currently based in Qatar and a member of the group’s negotiating team, says that “in the last round of negotiations, there was clear progress. We agreed to a large portion of what the mediators proposed, and they conveyed to us positive responses from the Zionist occupation. We were surprised that the occupation withdrew from the negotiations,” and that US special envoy Steve Witkoff “was coordinated with them.”

Al-Hayya adds that there is no point in “continuing talks under a siege of destruction and starvation… We reject the disgraceful spectacle of so-called aid airdrops. The real step is to open the crossings and allow aid in a dignified manner for our people.”

The Hamas leader also issues a sharp critique directed at Egypt for not aiding Gaza, saying: “Egypt’s leadership, its army and its tribes — will your brothers in Gaza die of hunger while at your border?” He asks Cairo to “declare resolutely that Gaza will not die of hunger, and it will not accept that the Rafah crossing remains closed to the people of Gaza.”

Earlier today, Egyptian sources reported that aid trucks began entering Gaza from Egypt for the first time since the January ceasefire.