Israel and the United States recalled their delegation from the Gaza ceasefire talks on Thursday, with US special envoy Steve Witkoff claiming that the latest proposal from Hamas showed “a lack of desire to reach a ceasefire”. Witkoff made the statement after Netanyahu decided to withdraw his delegation from Qatar.
Witkoff asserted that the negotiators made a great effort but "Hamas does not appear to be coordinated or acting in good faith. We will now consider alternative options to bring the hostages home and try to create a more stable environment for the people of Gaza," he wrote on X.
Hamas released a statement on the matter claiming to be surprised by Witkoff’s remarks, Al Jazeera reported. “The movement affirms its keenness to continue negotiations and engage in them in a manner that helps overcome obstacles and leads to a permanent ceasefire agreement,” said Hamas in a statement released late on Thursday.
Hamas had earlier submitted its response to the ceasefire proposal, which was under consideration. Both sides have been facing mounting pressure to reach an agreement as the conflict has triggered a humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
According to reports, at least 115 people have died due to malnutrition since the war began. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the suffering and starvation in Gaza was an "unspeakable and indefensible" humanitarian catastrophe and called on Israel to urgently let in aid.
"While the situation has been grave for some time, it has reached new depths and continues to worsen. We are witnessing a humanitarian catastrophe," Starmer said in a statement.
Several reports have surfaced in recent times where Palestinians have been killed while waiting for aid. Recently, Over 90 people were killed when Israeli forces opened fire on crowds of Palestinians trying to collect humanitarian aid on Sunday.
