Hamas withdraws from talks, says military chief Deif 'fine' after Israeli strike

A senior Hamas official told AFP Sunday that the Palestinian militant group was withdrawing from talks on a ceasefire in the Gaza war because of Israeli "massacres" and its attitude in negotiations after Israel staged a colossal bombing raid on a camp for displaced in southern Gaza on Saturday that it said was an attempt to kill the group's military leader Mohammed Deif. 

However, the Hamas official said Sunday that the group's military leader, Mohammed Deif, was "fine" despite the Israeli attempt to kill him in the air strike. 

"Commander Mohammed Deif is well and directly overseeing" the operations of the Hamas military wing, the official told AFP as the senior Hamas official says the group is withdrawing from Gaza truce talks. 

The senior official said Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh had told international mediators of the "decision to halt negotiations due to the occupation's (Israel) lack of seriousness, continued policy of procrastination and obstruction, and the ongoing massacres against unarmed civilians." 

(AFP)