Hamas awaiting Israeli response on truce proposal

DOHA (Reuters) - Hamas said on Saturday it was waiting for an official Israeli response to a proposed truce in the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip that has been dismissed by Israeli officials.

Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal said he would wait until Egyptian mediators met with Israeli officials next week to relay the ceasefire proposal before the Islamist group decided how to react.

"We are waiting for the Egyptians to inform us about the Israeli stance," the group's chief Khaled Meshaal said at a news conference in Qatar. "Depending on what we hear from the Egyptians about the truth on the official Israeli stance, we will decide our stance."

Israel dismissed on Friday a Hamas proposal for a six-month Gaza Strip truce during which an embargo on the territory would be lifted, saying the Palestinian Islamists wanted to prepare for more fighting rather than peace.

Hamas said Egypt would raise the truce idea with Israel next week and that it expected a more binding Israeli decision then.

(Reporting by Firas Bou Khzam; Writing by Ola Galal)