Negotiations over a new ceasefire with Hamas continued over the past days but remain deadlocked, Israeli media reported Thursday, as the Israel Defense Forces continued to pound terror targets and advance ground troops in the northern Gaza Strip.
A Hamas official talking to Reuters confirmed efforts by the mediators had intensified in recent days but noted, "no breakthrough has yet been made."
According to the Qatari outlet Al-Araby Al-Jadeed, an Israeli delegation was in Cairo on Wednesday evening, and a Hamas delegation is expected there Thursday to continue the talks with the Egyptian mediators.
In response, the Israeli government reportedly decided to gradually increase the military pressure on Hamas, while still hoping to be able to pressure the terror group into concessions.
In recent statements, the terror group's spokesmen have been claiming that they were ready to agree to the current proposals and are blaming Israel for not responding.
Hamas sources told Al-Araby Al-Jadeed on Thursday they were ready to accept "any proposal" to return to a ceasefire. They also claimed the group had already accepted the latest "Witkoff proposal," referring to U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff.
Spokesman Abd al-Latif Qanoua said Wednesday that "any proposal based on entering negotiations for the second phase and a permanent end to the war will be welcomed and open to discussion. We want to stop the bloodshed and are open to all efforts that will lead to a permanent ceasefire and withdrawal from Gaza."
However, Witkoff said last week Hamas had made counteroffers and private demands in the hope of buying more time without having to release Israeli hostages.
The U.S. State Department stated, "The mediation proposal to extend the ceasefire" presented by Witkoff is still relevant but that the time window "could close quickly."
"For now, we still have the mediation proposal that would extend the ceasefire and lead to the release of five living hostages in exchange for a significant number of Palestinians held in Israeli prisons," a spokeswoman said.
Meanwhile, the IDF continued to strike terror targets throughout Thursday, after advancing ground troops into the Netzarim Corridor for the first time on Wednesday, and starting limited ground operations in northern Gaza the next morning.
Hamas criticized the move in a formal statement.
"We hold Israel and its leadership fully responsible for the consequences of the ground invasion into central Gaza, which constitutes a new and dangerous violation of the ceasefire agreement," the terrorists wrote.
"Israel's repeated threats to expel our people from their land will not weaken their resolve."
Palestinian networks claimed that 71 people were killed in Israeli strikes in Gaza overnight, raising the overall alleged number to some 540 since the IDF resumed airstrikes in the enclave.
The numbers are issued by Hamas and cannot be verified.
The IDF issued an additional warning Thursday morning to Gazan civilians, calling them not to travel on the enclave's main north-south artery, the Salah al-Din road as IDF troops expanded operations in the Netzarim Corridor.
"The IDF does not intend to harm you. For your safety, it is forbidden to approach IDF forces in the defensive zone and in any place where they are deployed," stated Col. Avichay Adraee, the military's Arabic spokesman.
The United Nations called for a probe Wednesday of an incident where one of its workers was killed and five others were wounded in an explosion in Deir al-Balah, in the central Gaza Strip.
"The secretary-general strongly condemns all attacks on U.N. personnel and calls for a full investigation," deputy sokesman for Secretary-General Farhan Haq stated. "He underscores that all conflicts must be conducted in a way that ensures civilians are respected and protected."
While acknowledging it was too early to "determine responsibility," Haq denied that the incident was caused by a mine or unexploded bomb.
He said a projectile "was either dropped or fired at the infrastructure and detonated inside the building. We do not know whether it was fired from land, from the sea, from the air."
According to the Times of Israel, footage from the scene shows those hurt were working in the United Nations Mine Action Service.
The IDF has denied responsibility for the incident. An IDF spokesman told AFP that "there was no IDF operational activity there and that the IDF didn't strike the U.N. compound."
This All Israel News report was republished on Newsmax by permission.
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