Israel and US leave Gaza ceasefire talks in Qatar
A Palestinian woman walks past damaged buildings after an Israeli strike on the Bureij refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip
In a statement, US special envoy Steve Witkoff said: "We have decided to bring our team home from Doha for consultations after the latest response from Hamas, which clearly shows a lack of desire to reach a ceasefire in Gaza."
The Israeli government did not say what triggered its withdrawal, but a senior Israeli official was quoted in local media as saying there was "no collapse" in the negotiations.
Hamas said it was surprised by Witkoff's remarks and that it was keen to continue negotiations.
All sides involved in the talks - including mediators - admit that wide gaps remain on key issues.
In Thursday's statement, Witkoff said that "while the mediators have made a great effort, Hamas does not appear to be co-ordinated 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.
"It is a shame that Hamas has acted in this selfish way. We are resolute in seeking an end to this conflict and a permanent peace in Gaza."
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is yet to publicly comment on why the Israeli negotiators were leaving Doha. FULL ARTICLE AT: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/crrqrz857wgo
No comments:
Post a Comment