Hamas has told mediators it is considering withdrawing from the understandings currently being discussed to reach an agreement on Gaza, in protest at continued Israeli air strikes across the territory, according to Israeli media reports. Israeli sources said the government is assessing the implications of Hamas’s message and the options available over the coming hours. The first is to maintain military pressure by continuing operations, air strikes and targeted killings, based on the assessment that sustained pressure could force Hamas to make concessions. The second is to suspend military operations temporarily to give negotiations a better chance of making progress and achieving a breakthrough. The developments come as contacts between Israel and Hamas continue through regional and international mediators in an effort to reach new understandings on the situation in Gaza.