Doha, August 18 (RHC)-- Hamas has squarely blamed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for the failure to reach a ceasefire agreement in Gaza, following two days of talks in Doha that concluded on Friday, in which the Palestinian resistance movement did not participate.
Hamas gave its official response in a statement on Sunday after reviewing the outcomes of the negotiations, mediated by Qatar and Egypt as well as the United States. Hamas called on the mediators to present a concrete plan to implement the proposals agreed upon on July 2, emphasizing the need to avoid a continuous cycle of stalled negotiations due to Netanyahu's delaying tactics and new conditions.
The resistance movement accused Netanyahu of employing a strategy to buy time and prolong the aggression in Gaza. "We became certain that Netanyahu is still putting obstacles in the way of reaching an agreement," Hamas said in its statement.
The group emphasized that the latest proposal presented during the talks aligns with Netanyahu's conditions, which notably include his rejection of a permanent ceasefire and any withdrawal from Gaza.
The resistance movement highlighted that the proposal also reflects Netanyahu's insistence on maintaining control over strategic areas of Gaza, including the Netzarim Junction, the Rafah Crossing, and the Philadelphi Corridor.
Furthermore, Hamas criticized the new conditions that Netanyahu imposed on the prisoner exchange negotiations. "We hold Netanyahu fully responsible for thwarting the mediators’ efforts and obstructing the path to an agreement," it reiterated.
Sami Abu Zuhri, a high-ranking member of the Hamas political bureau, has dismissed as “an illusion” Biden’s optimism that a ceasefire deal in Gaza is in sight.
Hamas asserted that they have approached the mediation efforts in Qatar and Egypt responsibly, and has considered all proposals intended at stopping the aggression against Palestinians and concluding a prisoner exchange deal.
This approach, Hamas noted, is driven by a desire to spare the blood of their people and end the ongoing violence and genocide against Palestinian civilians in the Gaza Strip.
The movement also reaffirmed its commitment to what it agreed upon on July 2, which was outlined by U.S. President Joe Biden at the end of May and approved by the UN Security Council. “We call on the mediators to fulfill their responsibilities and oblige the occupation to implement what has been agreed upon,” it added.
The latest round of ceasefire talks on Gaza concluded in Doha without a breakthrough on Friday, but a new date has been set for further discussions next week.
A statement from the White House, issued by co-mediators Qatar and Egypt, described a fresh proposal that they said builds “on areas of agreement” and seeks to bridge remaining gaps, allowing for “a swift implementation of the deal.”
In a separate statement late Friday, President Biden expressed optimism about a deal, saying that the “bridging proposal” provides a foundation for a final agreement on a ceasefire and a prisoner exchange deal.
Despite the optimistic tone, dozens of rounds of indirect talks between Hamas and Israel have failed to produce an agreement since a short-lived truce collapsed in December.
The mediation efforts have suffered several setbacks, chief among them the assassination of Hamas's political leader and chief negotiator, Ismail Haniyeh, in an Israeli strike in Tehran late in July.
