The official added that any agreement "must include mass humanitarian aid being sent to the Strip, and a meeting of demands regarding the release of Palestinian prisoners."
Meanwhile, Hamas senior official Ghazi Hamad said no major issue was agreed upon in the latest round of talks held in Qatar, and blamed Israel for sabotaging the negotiations, reported Haaretz.
Hamad claimed that Netanyahu "is trying to present a new outline, using the US, in an attempt to gain time." Hamad added that Hamas will not allow Israeli presence in the Strip at any phase.
The comments by Hamas officials followed the second day of talks on a hostage and ceasefire deal in Doha, Qatar.
The US, Egypt and Qatar published a statement following the talks in which they expressed optimism that an agreement will be reached before the end of next week to release hostages, save lives, bring relief to the people of Gaza, and de-escalate regional tensions.
US President Joe Biden subsequently stated that “we’re closer than we have ever been before” to securing a hostage release deal. Israel National News - Arutz Sheva
"We are closer than we have ever been...I don’t want to jinx anything, but we may have something. We’re not there yet, but much, much closer than it was three days ago,” Biden said in the White House.
He later published a statement in which he said that no party in the Middle East should undermine efforts to reach a Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal.
Despite Hamas’ statements against the proposed outline, a senior Biden administration official told reporters on Friday that the process of a ceasefire and hostage release deal “is now in the end game.”
The official dismissed the statements and said, “I know there’s a lot of public statements from Hamas right now. I wouldn’t take anything too seriously.”
He added that Hamas is under significant pressure to reach an agreement and said, “Should Hamas say no, think about what they’re doing to the people of Gaza.”
