Hamas rejects Israeli two-month cease-fire proposal, prisoner swap over demand for leadership's end

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The Israeli government and Hamas leadership are at a stalemate as both claim to want a cease-fire to facilitate a prisoner swap but cannot agree to conditions.

Both Israeli and Hamas leaders have expressed a desire to pause ongoing violence to allow an exchange, but the finer points of an agreement are proving difficult to resolve.

Hamas has turned down Israeli offers for a long-term cease-fire, rejecting the Jewish state's condition that top Hamas commanders leave the Gaza Strip for foreign exile.

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U.S., Qatari and Egyptian mediators have sought to negotiate terms for a month-long cease-fire with a staggered exchange, beginning with civilians and eventually leading to the release of soldiers.

Hamas has largely refused to agree to any conditions that do not include plans for a permanent end to violence in the region.

"We are engaging in serious discussions with both sides," said Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesman Majed Al Ansari during a press conference this week. "We have presented ideas to both sides. We are getting a constant stream of replies from both sides and that, in its own right, is a cause for optimism."

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An attack on Israel's forces in the