18 May 2021; MEMO: Senior Hamas leader Mousa Abu Marzook said that ceasefire mediation has not succeeded so far, stressing that any successes would be after Hamas' conditions are accepted.
Speaking to Al Jazeera Mubasher, Abu Marzook said: "Mediation has not succeeded yet; if they succeeded, they would have adopted our conditions, not Israel's conditions."
Abu Marzook reiterated that the US "is the first side after Israel which is responsible for the Palestinian bloodshed."
Al Jazeera reported another Hamas official saying: "We have to engage in a strong battle with the Israeli occupation in response to the massacres committed against our civilians."
He added: "The Israeli occupation does not want a ceasefire, but more and more bloodshed, so we have to defend our people."
