DUBAI (Reuters) – Palestinian militant group Hamas said on Wednesday Israel has set new conditions that have led to delays in reaching a Gaza ceasefire agreement.

Hamas said, however, that it was showing flexibility and that the talks on a ceasefire, mediated by Qatar and Egypt, are going in a serious direction.

“The occupation has set new conditions related to withdrawal, ceasefire, prisoners, and the return of the displaced, which has delayed reaching the agreement that was available,” Hamas said.

An Israeli negotiation team returned to Israel from Qatar on Tuesday evening for “internal consultations” regarding a hostage deal after a significant week of talks about Gaza, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said on Tuesday.

(Reporting by Jana Choukeir and Tala Ramadan; Editing by Barbara Lewis)