Hamdan said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was placing obstacles hindering both parties from reaching an agreement, and that he is "not interested" in releasing Israeli hostages.

"The occupation government is still evading, and negotiations are stuck in a vicious circle", Hamdan said at a press conference held in Beirut.

(Reporting by Nidal al Mughrabi, Jana Choukeir and Ahmed Elimam ; Editing by Michael Georgy and Toby Chopra)