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Hamas warns no deal if Israeli invasion of Rafah continues

Hamas warns of no ceasefire deal if Israeli invasion of Rafah continues
MENA
23 min read
Hamas official Osama Hamdan called on the international community to pressure Israel to refrain from invading Rafah further after it lost control of the border

Senior Hamas official Osama Hamdan warned on Tuesday that if Israel's military aggression continues in Rafah, there will be no ceasefire deal.

The senior political figure based in Beirut reiterated that "the ball is in Netanyahu's court" as the Palestinian group awaits Israel's decision over a potential truce deal which hung in the balance on Tuesday.

Hamdan's comments were made during a press conference in Beirut as a new round of ceasefire talks took place in Cairo with Egyptian state-linked media reporting that all sides were engaged, including Israel.

CIA director Bill Burns arrived in Tel Aviv on Tuesday night to meet with leaders about the proposal, which could see a 40-day pause in fighting and release of Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners.

World leaders and humanitarian agencies on Tuesday expressed grave concern over Israel's initial invasion into eastern Rafah and seizure of the border crossing which serves as the only exit point for Palestinians to leave Gaza.

The White House said that the Kerem Shalom crossing would be reopened on Wednesday after Israel shut it on Sunday following hostilities nearby.

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The New Arab Staff & Agencies
The New Arab Staff & Agencies