Hamas Declines Ceasefire Talks Amid Escalating Tensions

[Social Media]

 

Hamas has announced that it will not participate in ceasefire discussions scheduled for Thursday this week, citing distrust in Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's intentions. The militant group believes that Netanyahu is not genuinely interested in ending the conflict but rather seeks to prolong and expand the war.

 

Talks aimed at negotiating a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas are set to take place on Thursday. However, a Hamas representative in Lebanon informed Sky News that the group will not be attending. In a statement, Ahmad Abdul Hadi, a Hamas official, clarified that while the group is not opposed to ceasefire negotiations "in principle," it has decided not to join the talks this week. Abdul Hadi accused Netanyahu of using the negotiations as a cover to continue the aggression against the Palestinian people. "Rather he is deceiving and evading and wants to prolong the war, and even expand it at the regional level, and thus he uses negotiations as a cover to continue his aggression against our people and commit more massacres against them," Abdul Hadi stated.

 

Hamas emphasized that it would be willing to return to the negotiating table if the Israeli government made a "clear commitment" to a ceasefire proposal that Hamas had initially put forward in July. However, the group expressed frustration with Israel's apparent introduction of new conditions. Hamas was particularly angered by the assassination of its leader, Ismail Haniyeh, as well as a recent deadly attack on a school compound in Gaza City. These events have further fueled the group's mistrust of Israel's intentions.

 

The ongoing conflict has prompted mediators from Qatar, Egypt, and the United States to work tirelessly toward brokering an agreement to end the war. These efforts have included attempts to negotiate a three-phase plan that would involve Hamas releasing hostages captured during its October 7 attack in exchange for the release of Palestinians imprisoned by Israel. Additionally, the plan would require Israel to withdraw from Gaza. Despite these efforts, the latest statement from Hamas suggests that progress toward a ceasefire remains elusive.

 

The situation has also led to changes in diplomatic schedules. Reports have emerged that US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has postponed his trip to the Middle East due to "uncertainty about the situation," according to a report by Axios. Blinken had been scheduled to depart on Tuesday, but his travel plans were delayed as the situation in the region remains volatile.

 

The escalation in tensions was highlighted earlier in the day when Hamas fired two rockets at Tel Aviv, marking the first such attack in months. Despite these developments, US officials had previously indicated that they expected Thursday's ceasefire talks to proceed as planned. In an effort to salvage the negotiations, the US State Department has indicated that Qatar will work to convince Hamas to participate in the peace talks. "Our partners in Qatar have assured us that they will work to have Hamas represented," US State Department spokesperson Vedant Patel stated during a briefing on Tuesday.

 

As the conflict enters its eleventh month, the humanitarian toll continues to rise. The Palestinian death toll in Gaza is nearing 40,000, according to the Hamas-run health ministry. The ongoing violence has exacerbated the already dire situation in the region, with both sides suffering heavy losses. Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu has consistently stated that Israel's objectives in Gaza are to dismantle Hamas's "governing and military capabilities" and to secure the release of hostages.

 

The current impasse in ceasefire negotiations underscores the deep mistrust and animosity between the two sides. While international mediators continue their efforts to bring about a peaceful resolution, the prospects for an immediate ceasefire appear bleak. Hamas's refusal to participate in this week's talks signals a further escalation in the conflict, raising concerns about the potential for even greater violence in the region. As both sides remain entrenched in their positions, the possibility of a peaceful resolution seems increasingly distant, leaving the region on the brink of further turmoil.

 

Credit: Sky News  2024-08-14

 

 

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[mogandave]

I think given Kamala is the now Biden’s likely successor, Hamas just needs to wait it out.

[novacova]

At this point in history, believe that Hamas wants peace is an utterly delusional concept.

[thaibeachlovers]

On Al Jazeera this morning no mention of Hamas declining to attend, but that they wanted to discuss the original proposal by Biden, and not a new version. 

 

The US Department of State believes that they will be participating, even if not actually present themselves

 

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/8/14/new-round-of-gaza-ceasefire-talks-to-take-place-in-doha-on-thursday

However, the US Department of State says Qatar has assured Washington that Hamas will be represented.

 

Hamas has no reason to believe that netanyahu will negotiate in good faith, given every time in the past that a deal was near seems that he sabotaged it.

[Bkk Brian]

41 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

On Al Jazeera this morning no mention of Hamas declining to attend, but that they wanted to discuss the original proposal by Biden, and not a new version. 

 

The US Department of State believes that they will be participating, even if not actually present themselves

 

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/8/14/new-round-of-gaza-ceasefire-talks-to-take-place-in-doha-on-thursday

However, the US Department of State says Qatar has assured Washington that Hamas will be represented.

 

Hamas has no reason to believe that netanyahu will negotiate in good faith, given every time in the past that a deal was near seems that he sabotaged it.

but that they wanted to discuss the original proposal by Biden, and not a new version. 

 

Read the OP

 

13 hours ago, Social Media said:

Hamas emphasized that it would be willing to return to the negotiating table if the Israeli government made a "clear commitment" to a ceasefire proposal that Hamas had initially put forward in July.

 

Hamas made numerous changes to the original Israel/Biden peace plan that was endorsed by the UN. They now want their version only to be discussed not the version that Israel amended due the the Hamas changes. In other words they refuse to discuss all other negotiations.