The negotiating team sent by Israel to Qatar for indirect talks with the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) on a possible ceasefire in the Gaza Strip will soon leave Doha after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that the Islamist group “is not interested in continuing negotiations.”
“Hamas’s position clearly demonstrates that it is not interested in continuing negotiations for an agreement, which is a regrettable example of the damage caused by the (UN) Security Council decision,” Netanyahu’s office said through from a statement published on his account on the social network X.
Thus, he stressed that the Palestinian group “has once again rejected the compromise proposal presented by the United States and has repeated its extreme demands: immediate end to the war, total withdrawal of the Army from the Gaza Strip and remaining in power to be able to repeat the massacre of October 7 over and over again, as he has promised to do.
“Israel will not bow to Hamas’s delusional demands and will continue to act to achieve all the objectives of the war: freeing those kidnapped, destroying Hamas’ military and governance capabilities, and ensuring that Gaza no longer poses a threat to Israel.” , he stressed.
Following this, official sources cited by the Israeli public broadcaster, Kan, have confirmed that the Israeli delegation will leave Doha and have stressed that “the conditions presented by Hamas are illusory.” “They refuse to consider a gradual proposal, the release of the hostages and call for the withdrawal of the Israeli Army,” they said, before emphasizing that the head of the Mossad, David Barnea, “has ordered the delegation to return.”
The statement was published shortly after Hamas published a statement stating that it “sticks to its position” in the negotiations for a ceasefire in the Strip and again accused Netanyahu of “undermining” diplomatic efforts and “obstructing.” the possibility of an agreement.
Hamas also applauded the resolution approved on Monday by the UN Security Council, which is the first text to gain support in the organization since the beginning of the conflict, after the three previous vetoes by the United States, which abstained on this occasion. .
In response, Israel’s Foreign Minister, Israel Katz, has stated that the United States’ decision represents “a moral and ethical error” that will harm the Israeli authorities in the negotiations. “Hamas is working on the fact that (…) there will be a ceasefire without the need to pay anything,” he said.
Israel launched its offensive against the Gaza Strip in response to the attacks carried out on October 7 by Hamas, which left 1,200 dead and 240 hostages. Since then, the Palestinian Ministry of Health in the enclave has reported the deaths of more than 32,300 Palestinians, to which more than 420 have been added due to the actions of security forces and Israeli settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.