Hamas official: Netanyahu's threat of Rafah invasion is designed to thwart a truce

Hossam Badran, a top Hamas official, said that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's repeated threats of sending forces into Rafah were intended to “thwart any possibility of concluding an agreement".

“Netanyahu was the obstructionist in all previous rounds of dialogue and previous negotiations, and it is clear that he still is,” Badran told AFP in a phone interview.

“He is not interested in reaching an agreement, and therefore he says words in the media to thwart these current efforts.”

Hamas is currently engaged in dialogue with its leadership and allies before returning to Cairo to continue negotiations towards a truce.