Hamas denies report of setting conditions for accepting Gaza ceasefire

GAZA, June 29 (Xinhua) -- Hamas on Sunday denied a report claiming it had set conditions for accepting a ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip.

Hamas said in a press statement that the report by Sky News Arabia alleging that Hamas had set conditions for accepting a prisoner exchange deal and a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip is "baseless and full of lies."

"We reject it completely and in its entirety. It aims to divert attention from war crimes and cheap incitement against Hamas and the Palestinian resistance, and to distort its established and declared positions," Hamas said.

Sky News Arabia on Saturday quoted a Palestinian source as saying that Hamas is demanding its political bureau not be harmed and its assets not be confiscated, withheld, or restricted abroad.

The same source alleged Hamas was insisting on having representatives in Gaza's future administration and in the security apparatus, either affiliated with or close to the movement.

Meanwhile, senior Hamas leader Mahmoud Mardawi on Sunday accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of "setting impossible conditions aimed at thwarting any exchange agreement and refusing to abide by what he previously agreed to."

U.S. President Donald Trump said Friday that there could be a Gaza ceasefire agreement within the next week. ■