Hamas official says group will not accept truce that does not end Gaza war; death toll nearing 35,000

This picture taken from the northern Israeli kibbutz of Malkia along the border with southern Lebanon, shows smoke billowing above the Lebanese village of Meiss El-Jabal during Israeli bombardment on Sunday, May 5, 2024, amid ongoing cross-border tensions as fighting continues between Israel and Palestinian Hamas fighters in the Gaza Strip. - AFP

GAZA STRIP, Palestinian Territories (AFP): A senior Hamas official on Saturday said the group would not accept a truce that did not completely end the Gaza war, accusing Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu of "personally hindering" a deal.

Qatari, Egyptian and US mediators met a Hamas delegation in Cairo on Saturday in the latest bid to halt the devastating almost seven-month-old war that has triggered worldwide protests.