Hamas officials leave Cairo without ceasefire
Member of Islamist group's delegation says Israel trying to avoid fully reopening Gaza's borders, adding that no date set for Hamas negotiators to return to Egypt
A senior Hamas official said his group is leaving Cairo without an agreement on a long-term truce with Israel, saying differences remain over opening border crossings into the seaside territory.
Egypt has been trying to negotiate a long term truce between Israel and Hamas. A shaky ceasefire went into effect on January 18.
Hamas official Mohammed Nasr, who is part of the negotiating team, said Thursday Israel is trying to avoid fully reopening Gaza's borders. He said his group is expecting more answers from the Egyptians who will talk with the Israelis.
Sources in Hamas told Ynet that the negotiations have not failed despite the inability to finalize an agreement, adding that the talks in the past few hours had been focusing on the specifics of the agreement.
Nasr said no date is set for Hamas to return. Hamas officials had said they are ready to commit to a ceasefire with Israel for at least a year in exchange for a full opening of Gaza's borders.
