Qatari envoy Muhammad al-Emadi was expected to arrive in the Gaza Strip on Tuesday in an attempt to defuse the tensions between Hamas and Israel.
Qatar funnels millions of dollars to the coastal enclave every month to help the cash-strapped terrorist group pay its functionaries' salaries.
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"Hamas' position is that unless Israel lifts the siege the situation will soon get out of control. A military conflict is just a matter of time," a Hamas official said.
Israel has placed the coastal enclave under a maritime blockade and tightly controls the land crossings with Gaza – measures imposed after the Hamas terrorist group usurped control of the Strip in 2007 in a military coup.
According to Arab media, a high-ranking Israeli delegation comprising intelligence and National Security Council officials arrived in Qatar on Sunday for talks on how Qatar could play a more meaningful role in the talks with Hamas.
Egypt is leading the efforts to broker a long-term ceasefire with the Gaza-based terrorist group.
According to the Hamas official, Gaza's rulers seek to avoid a full-fledged war.
"If Hamas wanted to aggravate the situation it would respond to the IDF's strikes [over arson terrorism] by firing thousands of rockets at Israel," he said.
A senior Israeli defense official noted that "further escalation is only a matter of time. Israel has no interest in hostilities, but the IDF is ready for any scenario."
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