The London-based Ash-Sharq Al-Awsat daily has reported that Hamas conveyed a message to Israel that it was not interested in an escalation in the Gaza Strip, but that it was not ready to accept the continuation of the security blockade.
According to the report, senior Hamas figures told the Egyptian delegation that visited Gaza this week that they had no interest in escalating the situation and asked Israel to be committed to the understandings reached a few months ago.