Hamas leader Ismail Haniya has accused Israel of obstructing ceasefire negotiations, according to a report by Reuters on Thursday (May 16). Haniya stated that Hamas had recently agreed to a ceasefire proposal put forth by Egypt and Qatar, with awareness from the US administration. However, he claimed that Israel's takeover and control of the Rafah crossing in response to the proposal, followed by attacks on Rafah, have disrupted the negotiation process.

Haniya emphasized that Israel's amendment of the ceasefire proposal has halted progress in the talks. He warned that Hamas will not accept any conditions other than an end to the aggression in Gaza.

Meanwhile, the United Nations reported today that nearly 600,000 Palestinians have fled the area within 10 days as Israel intensified its operations in Rafah, Gaza Strip.

The developments come amid escalating tensions between Israel and Hamas, with ceasefire negotiations stalling and the situation in Gaza growing increasingly dire.