Palestinians look at destruction after an Israeli airstrike on a residential building of the Ganan family in Deir al Balah, Gaza Strip, March 7, 2024. (PHOTO / AP)

GAZA/CAIRO - A Hamas official said on Thursday that Israel aimed to secure the release of its hostages without agreeing to the conditions set by the movement, a demand Hamas deemed "impossible."

The official, who spoke anonymously, told Xinhua that during the ceasefire negotiation, the Israeli side prioritized its captives' issue, while refusing the conditions set by Palestinian factions to proceed with the ceasefire negotiations.

As of Thursday, the Israeli offensives in Gaza have killed 30,800 Palestinians and injured 72,298 others, according to Gaza's health ministry

Hamas's delegation left the Egyptian capital of Cairo on Thursday to consult with the movement's leadership regarding the negotiations.

Egypt's Al-Qahera News quoted a high-level Egyptian source as saying that negotiations will resume next week in Cairo, noting that consultations are still ongoing among all parties to reach a ceasefire before Ramadan. Ramadan begins this year around March 10.

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Egypt has been hosting a new round of talks since Sunday to reach a ceasefire in Gaza, with the participation of delegations from Qatar, the United States, and the Hamas movement.

As of Thursday, the Israeli offensives in Gaza have killed 30,800 Palestinians and injured 72,298 others, according to Gaza's health ministry.

The Israeli escalation followed an attack by Gaza-ruling Hamas on Israeli towns on Oct 7 last year, killing about 1,200 Israelis and taking over 200 as hostages.

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Egypt, Qatar, and the United States mediated a week-long truce between Israel and Hamas that ended in late November 2023, which included a swap between Palestinian prisoners and Israeli hostages and more humanitarian aid delivery to Gaza.