Hamas has released a statement saying Ronen Bar’s letter to ministers claiming that Netanyahu intentionally sabotaged the Gaza ceasefire deal revealed the Israeli prime minister’s unwillingness to move ahead with negotiations, Al Jazeera reports.

The Shin Bet chief’s claims “reveal Netanyahu’s deliberate manipulation of negotiations and his attempt to sabotage any agreement”, the group said.

“These confessions from within the leadership of [Israel] confirm that Netanyahu was and still is the real obstacle to any exchange deal,” it added.