The heads of the Israeli and US intelligence agencies – the Mossad and the CIA – met on Friday as part of negotiations to reach an agreement on a new truce in the Gaza Strip, Israeli authorities said, while accusing Hamas of hardening its stance.

“Mossad chief David Barnea met yesterday (Friday) with CIA chief William Burns as part of ongoing efforts to move toward another deal to release the hostages” held in Gaza, the statement released by the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

“Contacts and cooperation with the mediators are constantly ongoing in an effort to reduce the intensity of the disputes and move towards reaching agreements,” the Israeli statement said.

However, “for now, Hamas is sticking to its positions as someone who is not interested in a deal and is trying to continue inflaming the region during Ramadan,” the Israelis complained.

A spokesman for Hamas’ military wing said on Friday that the Palestinian Islamist movement would make “no compromise” on its demands for a permanent ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and the withdrawal of Israeli troops in exchange for any deal to release hostages. .

The US, Qatar and Egypt are trying to reach an agreement on a ceasefire before Ramadan, which begins early next week. However, the negotiations have so far been fruitless.

US President Joe Biden estimated yesterday that it will be “difficult” to reach an agreement on a ceasefire before Ramadan.