Hamas keeps negotiations with Israel open despite attack on Al Mawasi safe zone

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Netanyahu meets with advisers in Tel Aviv this afternoon to revive talks

14 Jul. (EUROPA PRESS) –

The Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas will keep negotiations open for a ceasefire with Israel despite the Israeli attack this past Saturday against a safe zone in the Al Mawasi displaced persons camp that left at least 90 dead and 300 wounded.

Israel says the attack was ordered to kill Hamas commander in Gaza, Mohamed Deif, who survived, the Palestinian group says.

Hamas Politburo member Izzat al-Rishq has denied that Hamas’ political leader Ismail Haniyeh has ordered the talks to be suspended, as reported by AFP last night.

Now, in comments reported by Bloomberg, Al Rishq describes the information as “baseless” but describes the attack as orchestrated “to prevent the achievement of an agreement.”

In fact, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will hold a meeting this afternoon on ongoing attempts to restart talks to reach a hostage deal with Hamas, Israeli sources told The Times of Israel.

The meeting will take place at the Israel Defense Forces headquarters in Tel Aviv.