TEL AVIV, December 25. /TASS/. The Palestinian movement Hamas will not engage in hostage-release talks until Israel stops military activities in Gaza, Israel’s Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper reported, citing Ali Baraka, Hamas' head of external relations.

According to the paper, the Lebanon-based Hamas official said that "several proposals [on the release of hostages] have been made, but the opposition's position is clear that it is necessary to stop the Israeli aggression in Gaza first."

He added that "Hamas rejected any proposal for a truce for the last week or two, and the position of all the resistance factions is united on this matter: the aggression must be stopped, the crossings must be opened and the wounded must be taken out."

Tensions in the Middle East flared up again on October 7 after militants from the radical Palestinian group Hamas launched a surprise incursion into Israeli territory from the Gaza Strip, killing residents of border communities and taking people hostage. Israel started carrying out retaliatory strikes on the Palestinian enclave, as well as on certain areas in Lebanon and Syria. On December 1, the Israeli army accused Hamas of violating a ceasefire that had taken effect on November 24 and resumed combat operations in Gaza.