Hamas leader says war ‘not in our interest’ – Israeli newspaper

The leader of the Hamas movement has told an Israeli newspaper that another war in the Gaza Strip is “definitely not in our interest.” Hebrew daily Yedioth Ahronoth published a rare interview with Yahya Sinwar on Friday. In it, he viewed a ceasefire with Israel as entailing “complete calm” and an end to the Israeli-Egyptian blockade of Gaza. He said “through war we don’t achieve anything,” AP reported. However, Hamas issued a statement saying the Italian reporter misrepresented herself and didn’t say she worked for Yedioth Ahronoth. The interview ran as Egyptian-mediated efforts to strike a ceasefire in Gaza have stalled.