Today, the Qatari capital, Doha, is set to host a new round of negotiations aimed at achieving a ceasefire in Gaza.
The talks will include US and Israeli officials, but there is uncertainty regarding Hamas’s position, as the group has announced its refusal to participate and remains committed to the proposal presented by US President Joe Biden last July.
Hamas officials stated yesterday that they informed mediators they would not send a delegation to the negotiations. Instead, they urged the mediators to focus on implementing the agreement reached on July 2nd.
A Hamas representative emphasized that the new conditions presented by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu are unacceptable, and that the group had already made significant concessions by agreeing to the previous proposal. Further flexibility, they argued, would amount to surrender.
In contrast, Netanyahu’s office confirmed that an Israeli delegation has departed for the negotiations in Doha.
Israeli media reported that the delegation includes key figures such as Mossad Chief David Barnea, Shin Bet Head Ronen Bar, and General Nitzan Alon, who oversees the issue of prisoners.
The White House’s Special Envoy for the Middle East, Brett McGurk, is scheduled to travel to Egypt for discussions on border security before joining CIA Director William Burns in Doha.
In May, President Biden proposed a three-phase ceasefire plan, and since then, the US, along with Egyptian and Qatari mediators, has been working to broker an agreement that would halt the fighting in Gaza in exchange for the release of captives held in the region.
During this round of talks in Doha, the US is expected to introduce a new ceasefire proposal that includes the release of detainees.
This move is seen as a “last-ditch effort” to secure an agreement. Israeli media has suggested that the Biden administration will exert considerable pressure on all parties to accept the proposed framework immediately, though there are concerns that the negotiations could ultimately fail.
These talks come at a critical time, with both the international community and regional powers eager to find a solution to the ongoing violence and humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
