Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office on Friday accused Hamas of sabotaging the Gaza ceasefire negotiations held in Qatar.
"While Israel accepted the [US Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve] Witkoff framework, Hamas persists in its refusal and continues to wage psychological warfare against hostage families," Netanyahu's office said in a statement. It added that the prime minister will convene the ministerial team on Saturday "to decide on steps to free the hostages and achieve all our war objectives."
Earlier in the day, Hamas claimed it agreed to release one American-Israeli hostage soldier and return four bodies of slain captives. However, Axios reported, citing an unnamed Israeli official, that Hamas' "alleged offer" was intended to obstruct talks. "Hamas has not changed its position one bit, despite the efforts of the Trump administration and the Qatari and Egyptian mediators, and despite Israel's willingness to be flexible," the official said.
