A senior Palestinian Hamas official said Saturday in Beirut that negotiations for an agreement with Israel on a Gaza ceasefire and captive exchange deal had not made any progress.
A plan presented last month by US President Joe Biden, which he said was proposed by Israel, included a six-week truce accompanied by an Israeli withdrawal from densely populated areas and the release of some hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners held in Israel.
It was reported on Saturday that the US changed the language on the proposal to bridge the gap between Hamas's position and Israel's..
However , later on the same day, Osama Hamdan, a Hamas official based in Lebanon, confirmed that the movement had received the latest proposal on June 24, but that it included "nothing new", with Israel continuing to reject a permanent ceasefire.
Meanwhile, Israel continues to viciously assault northern Gaza, the fourth day of an Israeli military operation that has uprooted tens of thousands of Palestinians and compounded what the UN called "unbearable" living conditions in the territory.
An AFP correspondent reported explosions from the Shujaiya area near Gaza City, and a resident saying bodies were seen on the streets. Thousands of people remain trapped in the area without access to food or medical care.
