The end of the 72-hour Gaza ceasefire and the resumption of hostilities has not ended the ongoing Cairo peace talks, though Hamas spokesman Sami Zuhri expressed serious concerns about whether Israel was simply “wasting our time.”
According to Hamas, the Israeli delegation rejected the vast majority of Palestinian demands, including all calls to ease the blockade of the Gaza Strip, and to open a UN-managed seaport.
Even the demands that weren’t rejected were simply left unanswered, and Hamas believes that was evidence that Israel was “dragging its feet” to try to get the ceasefire to expire without a deal.
European officials have offered to serve as observers for a seaport with a single route between Gaza and Cyprus, though so far it is unclear if Israel will allow this to happen. For years, Israel has responded to attempts to reach Gaza by sea with military force.