Qatar acted too soon in announcing that Hamas gave initial approval to a ceasefire proposal, said a Palestinian source, the Times of Israel reported, citing a Lebanese news outlet, Al-Mayadeen. The statement "was rushed and is incorrect," the source told Al-Mayadeen, claiming that Hamas` leadership has not scheduled meetings in Cairo to discuss the deal with Egyptian mediators.

According to The Times of Israel, the source cited in Al-Mayadeen claims that the positive signals are a plot by the Israeli media to trigger public expectations about the budding deal. Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesman Majed al-Ansari earlier said that a proposed deal "has been approved by the Israeli side, and now we have an initial positive confirmation from the Hamas`s side."