A senior Hamas official based in the Gaza Strip said his movement is getting ready for a "long battle" as the 72-hour truce with Israel is set to end at Wednesday midnight.

Yehya Musa's statement about the possible battle comes as the ongoing truce talks in Cairo appear to yield no progress. Qais Abu Laila, one of the Palestinian delegates, told Egypt that this would be their last ceasefire with Israel, The Jerusalem Post reported.

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In an interview with Channel 2, Israel's Finance Minister Yair Lapid said the fighting will possibly resume at midnight because the gaps between the two involved parties remain wide. He also called Hamas a "murderous terrorist" group with a desire to kill Jews.

According to diplomatic officials, any of these three scenarios could happen: that they could strike a longer truce by midnight; that they could extend the talks after another 72-hour ceasefire takes effect; and that the fighting will resume after the ceasefire expires.

Meanwhile, the Palestinians said the Egyptian-brokered talks produced almost no progress and accused Israel of dragging its feet in making decisions. Sources say Israel agreed to only a few of the demands of the Palestinian team.

Israel agreed to increase the number of food and supply trucks entering the Nahal Oz terminal and the Kerem Shalom crossing, while also allowing 5,000 Gazans to enter their country every month. It also conceded to the gradual expansion of the fishing zone for the Palestinians in Gaza.

While both parties agreed to reopen the Rafah Border and release a group of Palestinian prisoners, they failed to come to terms on the other issues such Israel's demand to disarm Palestinian factions in Gaza. They also disagreed on the Palestinians' demand to open an airport and a seaport in the West Bank area, sources added.

Meanwhile, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said during a news conference in New York that he hoped Israel and the Palestinians would reach a long-term ceasefire soon.

While Ban criticized the effect of Israel's offensive on the lives of the civilians in the Gaza Strip, he also lambasted Hamas for being unreasonable and letting their own people die amid the violence.

TagsHamas, Gaza Strip, Qais Abu Laila, Yehya Musa, Egypt, Cairo, Yair Lapid, Palestinians, Gaza, West Bank, Ban Ki Moon