Three days of negotiations ended in an impasse, with Hamas and Israel insisting the other side give in to their demands.
Three days of negotiations with Hamas over a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip have failed to reach a breakthrough, with less than a week to go until the start of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, the unofficial deadline for a deal.
The United States, Qatar and Egypt have spent weeks trying to broker an agreement in which Hamas would release Israeli prisoners in exchange for a six-week ceasefire, the release of some Palestinian prisoners and more aid to Gaza.
Al Jazeera's Hamda Sarhat said on Tuesday that the latest round of talks in Cairo, Egypt “ended in a stalemate” and it was unclear what would happen next.
“The Israelis say they are waiting for Hamas's response, and Hamas says they are waiting for Israel's response,” she said, reporting from occupied East Jerusalem.
“Intermediate mediators are trying to bridge the gap between the two sides and find solutions, but there appear to be deadlock points that cannot be resolved.”
Hamas has threatened to release all the estimated 100 hostages it holds and about 30 more bodies unless Israel ceases its attacks, withdraws from Gaza and releases scores of Palestinian prisoners, including fighters serving life sentences. refusing to be released.
Osama Hamdan, a senior Hamas official, said on Tuesday that the group wanted a permanent ceasefire and a “complete withdrawal” of Israeli forces, not a six-week suspension.
“The safety and security of our people can only be achieved with a permanent ceasefire, an end to the invasion and a withdrawal from all corners of the Gaza Strip,” Hamdan told reporters in Beirut.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has publicly rejected these demands and repeatedly promised to continue the war until Hamas is dismantled and all prisoners returned. Israel did not send a delegation to the latest round of talks.
Meanwhile, Israel has asked Hamas to provide a list of its surviving prisoners and the prisoner-to-prisoner ratio it seeks in the release agreement.
Senior Hamas leader Bassem Naim told AFP news agency on Monday that Hamas “doesn't know who is there.” [the captives] “Alive or dead, killed due to strikes or starvation,” he said, adding that the prisoners were being held by numerous groups in multiple locations.
“So there are two completely different perspectives and two different issues on what the other side is not willing to compromise on,” Sarhat said.
At the US-Qatar Strategic Dialogue talks on Tuesday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken urged Hamas to accept a ceasefire plan.
“It is Hamas that will decide whether it is willing to participate in a ceasefire,” the top US diplomat said during a meeting with Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani in Washington DC, US. Ta.
“Qatar, the United States, and our partners will continue to persevere to ensure this agreement is realized,” Al-Thani, standing next to Blinken, said.
The latest round of talks has concluded and Hamas has submitted a proposal for a mediator to speak with Israel within the next few days, two Egyptian officials said, according to the Associated Press.
A Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on October 7 left at least 1,139 people dead and about 250 prisoners taken. More than 100 prisoners were released during a week-long ceasefire in November.
According to the Gaza Ministry of Health, Israel's retaliatory attacks on Gaza have killed more than 30,000 people, mostly women and children.
Nearly five months of fighting have left much of Gaza in ruins and the humanitarian catastrophe is worsening, with many people scrambling for food to survive, especially in the devastated northern region.