A senior Hamas official on Saturday dismissed optimistic talk by US President Joe Biden that a Gaza truce is nearer after negotiations in Qatar.
"To say that we are getting close to a deal is an illusion," Hamas political bureau member Sami Abu Zuhri told AFP. "We are not facing a deal or real negotiations, but rather the imposing of American diktats."
He was responding to Biden's comment on Friday that "We are closer than we have ever been."
Biden spoke after two days of talks in Qatar where Washington tried to bridge differences between Israel and Hamas. The two sides have been at war for more than 10 months in the Gaza Strip.
Previous optimism during months of on-off truce talks has proven unfounded.