Hamas leaders have held a second day of truce talks with Egyptian and Qatari mediators, with no apparent progress reported as the group maintained its demand that any agreement must end the fighting in Gaza, Reuters reports quoting Palestinian officials.

A Palestinian official close to the mediation effort said the Hamas delegation had arrived in Cairo with a determination to reach a deal “but not at any price”.

“A deal must end the war and get Israeli forces out of Gaza and Israel hasn’t yet committed it was willing to do so,” the official told Reuters, asking not to be named.

Another Palestinian official told Reuters that the negotiations are “facing challenges because the occupation (Israel) refuses to commit to a comprehensive ceasefire”, but added that the Hamas delegation was still in Cairo in the hope mediators could press Israel to change its position.