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Beirut, June 2 (RHC)-- The head of the Political Bureau of the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas has said that the Israeli regime was deliberately prolonging ceasefire negotiations to keep up its genocidal war against the Gaza Strip.

“The occupation is using negotiations to continue its aggression against our people,” Ismail Haniyeh said on Friday, addressing an event in the Lebanese capital Beirut.  He, however, added that “the resistance factions do not accept to be part of these maneuvers.”

The regime launched the war against Gaza last October in response to Al-Aqsa Storm, a retaliatory operation staged by the Palestinian territory’s resistance movements.  The Israeli military onslaught has killed at least 36,224 Palestinians, mostly women and children.

Egypt and Qatar have been mediating negotiations aimed at conclusion of a ceasefire agreement following one in November, during which Hamas released 105 of the captives that had seized during Al-Aqsa Storm.

In early May, Hamas agreed to another truce proposal enabling cessation of the Israeli aggression and release of the rest of the captives. The Israeli regime, however, rejected the proposal.

Haniyeh added that “the [occupying] entity failed to achieve its goals, thanks to the legendary steadfastness and resistance of the Palestinian people.”  The Hamas leader was referring to Tel Aviv’s failure to eliminate Gaza’s resistance, enable forcible release of the rest of its captives, and cause mass exodus of Gaza’s entire population to neighboring Egypt.

Elsewhere in his remarks, Haniyeh noted that “Al-Aqsa Storm raised the Palestinian cause to an unprecedented level and opened the door to recognition of the Palestinian state.”  He pointed to the European trio of Spain, Ireland, and Norway’s recent recognition of Palestine in a blow to the Tel Aviv regime.