Hamas has rejected the U.S. accusation that it is the main obstacle to reaching a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.

In a statement by a senior Hamas official, the organisation said the accusation is “a blatant bias in favour of the Israeli position.”

The Hamas official, Izzat al-Rishq, said that John Kirby, the White House National Security Communications Advisor’s remarks suggesting the movement has changed some of its conditions for a ceasefire are “baseless.”

He said the U.S. administration believed that “blaming Hamas is less costly in light of the U.S. elections.”

He added that “the world knows that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is the one who added new conditions and demands, not Hamas.”

During a Monday press briefing at the White House, Mr Kirby said that Hamas had put forward new demands in the negotiations, making reaching a ceasefire deal more difficult.

Mr Kirby stressed that Hamas had presented the main obstacle to a deal, however, there was still room for negotiations.

The latest development comes as negotiations mediated by Qatar, Egypt, and the United States to secure a Gaza ceasefire stall.

Despite objections from Egypt and Hamas, Netanyahu insists on keeping Israeli forces in the Philadelphi Corridor, a 100-meter wide and 14-km-long buffer zone along the Egypt-Gaza border.

The Israeli army took control of the corridor in May. 

(Xinhua/NAN)