Israel’s government has claimed Hamas does not want a pause in fighting that would allow the delivery of aid and the release of captives amid growing international opposition to its planned offensive on Rafah.

“Unfortunately Hamas doesn’t want a pause to get aid in and hostages out. If it were that easy, we would have done it ages ago,” government spokesman Eylon Levy said in a post on X.

“Hamas is trying to hold onto the 136 hostages as leverage to survive this war that it started. We really wish it were that easy.”

Levy made the remarks after UK Foreign Secretary David Cameron said he was “deeply concerned” about the planned assault on Rafah and called for an “immediate pause” in fighting to facilitate the delivery of aid and release of captives.

Hamas has called for a full withdrawal of Israeli forces and an end to the conflict after three 45-day truce periods, as part of a counter-offer to a ceasefire proposal backed by Israel and the US and mediated by Qatar and Egypt.