Hamas Says Truce Talks Pointless as Israel Wages Hunger War

Famine looms in Gaza as Israel prepares for broader assault on Palestinian territory

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GAZA CITY, Palestinian Territories — Hamas on May 6 dismissed as pointless ceasefire talks with Israel, accusing it of waging a "hunger war" on Gaza as famine looms and Israel prepares for a broader assault on the war-ravaged Palestinian territory.

The comments from a senior Hamas official followed Israel's approval of a military plan involving the "conquest" of Gaza, where nearly all 2.3 million people have been displaced, and a two-month Israeli blockade has worsened the humanitarian crisis.

"There is no sense in engaging in talks or considering new ceasefire proposals as long as the hunger war and extermination war continue in the Gaza Strip," Mr Basem Naim told AFP.

Mr Naim, a Hamas political bureau member and former Gaza health minister, said the world must pressure Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government to end the "crimes of hunger, thirst and killings" in Gaza.

Qatar, a key mediator in the conflict, said "our efforts remain ongoing" for a Gaza ceasefire.

Israel's military on May 5 said expanded operations in Gaza would include displacing "most" of its population.

On May 4, Israel's security Cabinet approved a military plan for expanded operations, which an Israeli official said would entail "the conquest of the Gaza Strip and the holding of the territories".