Hamas official says Gaza war not over until demands are met

A senior Hamas official told supporters at a Gaza city rally that the war with Israel won’t be over until the group’s demands for a lifting of the Gaza blockade are met, insisting that its fighters would never give up their arms.

“Our fingers are on the trigger and our rockets are trained at Tel Aviv,” the official, Mushir al-Masri said, as Egypt struggled to broker a lasting truce between Israel and Hamas, with an Egyptian official saying that Gaza-based militants were refusing to compromise.

Cairo is mediating in-direct talks between Israel and Hamas on extending a 72-hour cease-fire that expires this morning.