Hamas says Gaza deal conditional on return of displaced, Israeli withdrawal

Palestinian resistance group Hamas on Thursday reiterated its demand that any deal with Israel be conditioned on the return of displaced Palestinians to their homes and a full Israeli troop withdrawal from the Gaza Strip.

"The key to any agreement with Israel is based on a permanent cease-fire," Hamas spokesman Abdel Latif al-Qanoua said in a statement.

Hamas said earlier it was studying Israel's response to a proposed cease-fire deal in Gaza, following a new round of indirect talks between the two sides in Egypt.

"Our most prominent priorities in the ongoing negotiations are the return of the displaced without restrictions and a full withdrawal of (Israeli) forces from Gaza," al-Qanoua said. "Without this, the (agreement) will not be completed," he added.

The Israeli army has waged a deadly offensive in the Gaza Strip since an Oct. 7 cross-border attack by Hamas, which killed less than 1,200 people.

The war has killed more than 33,500 people and injured over 76,000 in Gaza and caused mass destruction, displacement and brought the Palestinian population of more than 2 million on the verge of famine in the enclave.

Israel is accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), which has ordered Tel Aviv to stop genocidal acts and take measures to guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza.