Moussa Abu-Marzouk, Fatah's Azzam al-Ahmed
Moussa Abu-Marzouk, Fatah's Azzam al-AhmedFlash 90

The truce talks have "returned to the starting point," a Hamas leader said Sunday night ahead of the current ceasefire ending Monday at midnight - a ceasefire he threatened would not be extended again.

Hamas Deputy Leader Moussa Abu-Marzouk, part of the delegation in the Cairo truce talks, claimed Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu rejected the Egyptian truce proposal and submitted Israeli amendments that returned talks to the starting point, reports Channel 10.

Amendments submitted by the Hamas, Palestinian Authority (PA) and Islamic Jihad delegation were revealed on Monday. They include important changes on several major issues that were slipped in, such as the release of terrorists.

"Netanyahu is captive to internal contradictions. He went to war and lost, and didn't achieve the goals he set for himself. There are 24 hours left in the ceasefire agreed upon, and it will not be renewed for a third time. The Palestinian delegation will not give up on any of the rights of our people," said Abu-Marzouk.

While Israel has called for a disarmament of the terrorists in Gaza, truce proposals have not addressed that demand, leaving it to be discussed in talks a month after a truce deal when Hamas demands such as a sea and airport are to be discussed as well.

Apparently this point of disarmament is what Abu-Marzouk referred to in terms of the goals that haven't been achieved. The Israeli public has overwhelmingly been calling for the government to finish the job in Gaza, as seen in a 10,000-strong rally in Tel Aviv last Thursday.

A member of the Palestinian Arab delegation to Cairo told AP that the gaps between the sides remain significant, and that it is unclear if an agreement will be signed before the ceasefire ends.

"We are even less optimistic than in the past," said the official.