Hamas leader says group is still seeking hostage deal after three of his sons killed

Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh said on Thursday his Palestinian militant group was still seeking a deal for a ceasefire and hostage release after an Israeli strike killed three of his sons in an attack in Gaza.

Speaking in Qatar while receiving condolences, Haniyeh said "The interests of the Palestinian people are placed above everything" when asked if the strike would affect the talks on a truce and hostage release.

"We are seeking to reach a deal but the occupation is still procrastinating and evading a response to the demands," he told Reuters.

Israeli forces carried out Wednesday's attack without authorization from top commanders or senior leaders, Israeli media said on Thursday, raising fears among families of hostages it would derail efforts to secure their release from Gaza.

"I can only hope this won't affect the negotiation. I hope it won't make Hamas put harder conditions on the deal," said Ofri Bibas Levy, whose brother Yarden Bibas was taken captive with his wife and two small children during the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on October 7.

Israel's government has faced rising pressure from families of the 133 Israeli hostages still believed to be held in the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip, although talks mediated by the U.S., Egypt and Qatar have yet to secure a deal.

"The key to any agreement with the occupation starts with a permanent ceasefire and our top priority in the ongoing negotiation process is the unconditional return of the displaced and the complete withdrawal of forces from the Gaza Strip," Hamas spokesperson Abdel-Latif al-Qanoua said in a statement.

"Without that, an agreement will not happen," he added.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government has faced mounting criticism from Israel's main ally, the United States, over the conduct of its military campaign and the chain of command in pursuing its objectives.

This has been prompted by the rising number of Palestinian civilians killed and stoked most recently by a strike that killed foreign and Palestinian aid workers in Gaza.