Hamas militants distanced themselves on Friday from a cease-fire offer that the Palestinian government led by the Islamist group made to Israel, while other armed groups also spurned the proposal.
Differences over the truce offer, which was conditional on Israel stopping raids and air strikes in Gaza and the West Bank, could point to disagreement between the Hamas grassroots and the government over tactics.
Hamas's armed wing scrapped a 16-month truce with Israel a week ago and soon after launched a barrage of makeshift rockets at the Jewish state from the Gaza Strip. But a government spokesman made a new cease-fire offer on Thursday. "We are not interested in making any offers or proposals," said Sami Abu Zuhri, official spokesman for the Hamas movement.
"When the occupation stops its killings and crimes against our people then the factions may look into the issue in accordance with the interests of our people," he said.
Abu Zuhri said the cease-fire offer announced by cabinet spokesman Ghazi Hamad in an interview with Israel Radio represented the government, and not the militant group itself.