People walk past destroyed buildings, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Hamas resistance movement, in Khan Yunis, Gaza Strip, on April 11, 2024.   (Photo via Reuters)

Gaza City, April 24 (RHC)-- The Palestinian Hamas resistance movement has sternly criticized US Secretary of State Antony Blinken for accusing the group of obstructing a ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip.

“Blinken’s statements have no relation to reality, and contradict the fact that Hamas offered flexibility more than once to facilitate conclusion of an agreement in order to stop the war of genocide and aggression against our people," the Gaza-based movement said in a statement on Monday.  It added that Hamas had to fight against the "intransigence and procrastination of [Israeli prime minister Benjamin] Netanyahu and his administration, who are creating obstacles in the way of the agreement, and seek to prolong their vicious war against our people."

Even the issue of Israeli captives is not among their priorities, noted the statement. 

Blinken said during a conference held on Friday on the sidelines of the Group of Seven meetings on the Italian island of Capri that “the only thing standing between the people of Gaza and a ceasefire is the Hamas movement, which rejects tempting offers from Israel.”

Hamas underlined that its demands and those of other Palestinian resistance factions have been clear from day one, and that they are the same as those presented last March and welcomed by all parties and mediators.

“The demands represent the national position of our people and their interests in the necessity of a permanent ceasefire, the withdrawal of occupation forces, and the return of the displaced to their places of residence in all areas of the Gaza Strip, as well as intensifying relief [delivery] and starting reconstruction,” the movement noted.

Hamas said the U.S. plays a role as an accomplice in the ongoing Israeli war of extermination against Palestinians by unconditional supply of weapons and political support to the occupying Israeli regime. Washington also continues its hostile role against the Palestinian nation through false accusations against Hamas, it added.

At least 34,097 people have died across Gaza since October 7 last year, when the Israeli regime started attacking the blockaded strip of land in response to Operation Al-Aqsa Storm by the territory’s resistance movements.

Women and children comprise some 72 percent of the victims of the war, which has also wounded as many as 76,980 others.

Despite the unabated campaign of bloodshed and destruction, the regime has so far fallen short of realizing its goals, including defeating Gaza’s resistance and causing forced displacement of the territory’s entire population to neighboring Egypt.