Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu introduced new conditions that complicated negotiations aimed at freeing hostages and suspending fighting in the Gaza Strip in May, according to U.S. and foreign officials. The cease-fire talks, with Israel represented by the head of its intelligence service and other officials, had advanced close to an agreement. The war in Gaza between Israel and Hamas was sparked by Hamas’ terrorist attack in Israel on Oct. 7, which killed 1,200 people, most of them civilians. About 40,000 Palestinians have died in Gaza since Israel launched its retaliatory military operation in the enclave, according to local health officials. In a statement Sunday, Hamas said Israel had added new conditions to an earlier proposal that revealed its intention to continue its “aggression” in Gaza and sabotage a possible cease-fire agreement.

---

Persons: Benjamin Netanyahu, Netanyahu, “ Netanyahu, Israel, ”, Iran’s, Ismail Haniyeh, Fazil Abd Erahim, “ It’s, there’s, Haniyeh Organizations: The New York Times, NBC News, Sky News, State Department, Anadolu Agency, Getty, Israel Defense Forces, Biden Locations: Gaza, Israel, U.S, Qatar, Egypt, Jerusalem, Lebanon, British, Tehran, Algiers, Algeria, Iran