Senior Hamas official Izzat al-Rashq said on Saturday that statements from U.S. President Donald Trump and Mideast envoy Steve Witkoff on Hamas' response to the recent cease-fire proposal "do not reflect the reality on the ground and are not in line with the course of the negotiations."
On Thursday, Witkoff announced that the U.S. was pulling its negotiation team after Hamas provided a "selfish" response and showed "a lack of desire" to reach an agreement. "Hamas didn't really want to make a deal," Trump said on Friday.
According to Al-Rashq, there has been significant progress in the talks, and the mediators have appreciated Hamas' position, which he said demonstrated "seriousness and responsibility."
Hamas has been working to reach a deal to end the war and ease the suffering of Gaza residents and has shown responsibility and flexibility since the start of the negotiations, he said.
He added that "the American side is turning a blind eye to the Netanyahu government's policy that thwarts the agreements and refuses to fulfill its commitments."
