Senior Hamas official says Netanyahu’s harsh demands for deal lead to hostage deaths

Senior Hamas politburo official Khalil al-Hayya sits in front of a backdrop showing the Old City of Jerusalem during an interview with The Associated Press, in Istanbul, Turkey, April 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Khalil Hamra)
Senior Hamas politburo official Khalil al-Hayya sits in front of a backdrop showing the Old City of Jerusalem during an interview with The Associated Press, in Istanbul, Turkey, April 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Khalil Hamra)

Senior Hamas official Khalil al-Hayya says Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s harsh demands for a ceasefire-hostage deal are the reason for the deaths of hostages held by the terror group in Gaza.

“Netanyahu’s response to our acceptance of the document presented by [US President Joe] Biden was evasive, followed by the imposition of several new conditions. Netanyahu insisted on staying in Philadelphi and Netzarim [corridors] and refused to release our elderly prisoners serving life sentences,” al-Hayya tells Al Jazeera.

“We are not interested in negotiating Netanyahu’s new conditions. The movement decides not to compromise on the July 2 proposal,” he adds.

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