Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas blamed each other on Wednesday for failing to reach a ceasefire deal, despite progress announced by both sides recently.
Hamas said Israel had set new conditions, while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused the group of returning to issues on which it had previously agreed.
" The occupiers have imposed new conditions regarding the withdrawal, ceasefire, prisoners and the return of the displaced, which has delayed reaching the agreement that was available ," said officials of the militant group.
Hamas said it was showing resilience, however, and that talks brokered by Qatar and Egypt were moving in the right direction.
But Mr. Netanyahu hit back in a statement, saying that " the terrorist organization Hamas continues to lie. It is reneging on what was previously agreed upon and continues to create difficulties in negotiations ."
However, Israel will continue its unrelenting efforts to return the hostages, he added.
Israeli negotiators returned from Karat to Israel on Tuesday evening for consultations on a deal on the hostages after an important week of talks, the prime minister's office said on Tuesday.
In the past two weeks, American and Arab mediators from countries such as Qatar and Egypt have stepped up efforts to reach an agreement.
The war in Gaza was triggered by Hamas' surprise terrorist attack on October 7, 2023 in southern Israel. As a result, 1200 people were killed and 251 others were taken hostage.
Israel's military campaign against Hamas in Gaza has killed more than 45,000 Palestinians, according to health officials, in the Hamas-controlled region. Most of the population of 2.3 million have been displaced and most of Gaza has been reduced to rubble./Voice of America (A2 Televizion)
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