Hamas rejects ‘new’ Gaza truce deal in Doha ceasefire talks
U.S. President Joe Biden announced that a deal to end fighting in Gaza is closer than ever. However, the optimistic sentiment of the 81-year-old leader may be mistaken as Hamas stated on August 16th that it rejected “new conditions” for a Gaza ceasefire presented by U.S. mediators in Qatar, reported AFP and agencies.
“We are closer than we have ever been”, stated Biden following the latest round of talks attempting to end the 11-month war between Israel and Hamas after numerous failed attempts by diplomats from across the world.
According to the State Department, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is expected to land in Israel in the coming days to promote the latest proposal.
U.S., Egyptian and Qatari mediators aim to finalise details of a framework for peace outlined by Biden in May, a solution proposed by Israel, claimed the president.
READ: Israeli politicians condemn ‘pogrom’ of Palestinians in West Bank
A joint statement outlined that mediators have presented both sides with a proposal that “bridges remaining gaps”, reaffirming their commitment to hash out the specifics of humanitarian provisions and hostage exchange. Talks are set to resume in Cairo “before the end of next week” to secure a swift deal.
Whilst Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called on mediators to “pressure” to accept Biden’s solution, Hamas, on the other hand, quickly announced its opposition to “new conditions” from Israel in the latest plan.
An informed source told AFP that the specific condition that Hamas disapproved of regarded the stationing of Israeli troops on the Egyptian border with Gaza, along with the terms related to the release of Palestinian prisoners in exchange for Israeli hostages.
READ: Gaza death toll reaches over 40,000
Iran’s vow of revenge for the killing of Ismail Haniyeh and other aligned militant groups such as Hezbollah continuing attacks on Israel has added urgency to end the conflict in Gaza to avoid a major regional escalation.
The U.S. military has significantly scaled up its presence in the Middle East by sending in a carrier strike group with added air support along with a guided missile-equipped submarine in preparation for an Iranian attack.
An anonymous U.S. official stated that the consequences for Iran if they were to attack Israel would be “cataclysmic”.
“No one in the region should take action to undermine this process,” stated Biden, who once again struck an optimistic tone, adding, “There’s just a couple more issues. I think we’ve got a shot.”
AFP and agencies
