The US is withdrawing its negotiating team from Gaza ceasefire talks in Qatar after Donald Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, pointed the finger at Hamas for a “lack of desire to reach a ceasefire”.

“While the mediators have made a great effort, Hamas does not appear to be coordinated or acting in good faith,” Witkoff said on Thursday. “We will now consider alternative options to bring the hostages home and try to create a more stable environment for the people of Gaza.”

The announcement suggested a setback for diplomatic efforts to end the relentless siege, destruction and ruin of Gaza that has devastated the territory for more than 21 months. Israel also recalled its negotiating team following Hamas’s response, in effect suspending weeks of Qatar-mediated talks that had shown only limited progress. It’s also unclear what “alternative options” are under consideration.

According to a Haaretz report, Israeli sources described the teams’ recall as a coordinated move designed to pressure Hamas.

Hamas said it was surprised by Witkoff’s remarks, adding that the group’s position had been welcomed by mediators and had opened the door to reaching a comprehensive agreement.

“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,” Hamas added in a statement early on Friday.

The announcement comes as Gaza endures cataclysmic humanitarian conditions. Israeli forces have killed more than 1,000 desperate and hungry people in Gaza in recent weeks trying to fetch food according to the UN, with at least 85 Palestinians killed on Sunday alone.

The World Health Organization on Wednesday described the situation as “man-made mass starvation” caused by restrictions on aid deliveries.

Witkoff added that it was “a shame that Hamas has acted in this selfish way” while insisting the US remains “resolute” in ending the bombardment of Gaza, though American officials have consistently attributed negotiation failures to the Palestinian side.

The proposed deal under discussion would have established a 60-day ceasefire during which Hamas would release 10 living hostages and the remains of 18 others in staged phases. In exchange, Israel would free Palestinian prisoners, increase aid deliveries to Gaza, and both sides would enter negotiations for a permanent truce.

The talks had been bogged down over where Israeli troops would redeploy after any ceasefire – specifically whether Israel would maintain control of the Netzarim and Philadelphi corridors – a sticking point that is proving insurmountable thus far. Israel also refuses to end the war until Hamas surrenders power and disarms, though Hamas has indicated a willingness to discuss stepping down from power under certain conditions.

The Haaretz report suggested that other sticking points include the areas from which Israel would withdraw during a pause in fighting, and the identities of the prisoners who would be released.

Thursday’s development comes in contrast with recent signs from the Trump administration, which had been optimistic about securing a breakthrough and had campaigned on ending foreign wars. A temporary ceasefire deal was last reached between Israel and Hamas in January, but collapsed after Israel launched surprise airstrikes in March that killed more than 400 people.

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

Hamas said it was surprised by Witkoff’s remarks and that it was keen to continue negotiations.

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.

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.”

Israeli and US negotiators have decided to leave Gaza ceasefire talks in Qatar’s capital Doha, with Washington accusing Hamas of not “acting in good faith”.

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.

But the senior Israeli official – speaking on the condition of anonymity – insisted there was “no collapse” in the talks, the Times of Israel reported.

The official criticised Hamas’s “rejectionist and unfortunate approach”, adding that “we reached the stage where we actually need to return, and we will return here as soon as the right way is found to reduce the gaps and reach the closing stage”.

In a statement early on Friday, Hamas said: “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.”

The latest round of talks in Doha – with Qatari and Egyptian mediators – has been going on for more than two weeks.

Earlier on Thursday, the UN’s Palestinian refugee agency (Unrwa) said that one in five children in Gaza City was now malnourished and cases were increasing every day.

More than 100 international aid organisations and human rights groups have also warned of mass starvation – pressing for governments to take action.

Israel, which controls the entry of all supplies into Gaza, has repeatedly said that there is no siege, blaming Hamas for any cases of malnutrition.

Israel stopped aid deliveries to the Gaza Strip in early March following a two-month ceasefire. The blockade was partially eased after nearly two months, but food, fuel and medicine shortages worsened.

According to the UN human rights office, more than 1,000 Palestinians have been killed by the Israeli military while trying to get food aid over the past two months.

It says at least 766 of them have been killed in the vicinity of one of the GHF’s four distribution centres, which are operated by US private security contractors and are located inside Israeli military zones.

Another 288 people have been reported killed near UN and other aid convoys.

Israel has accused Hamas of instigating the chaos near the aid sites. It says its troops have only fired warning shots and that they do not intentionally shoot civilians.

The Israeli military launched a campaign in Gaza in response to the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on 7 October 2023, in which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 others were taken hostage.

At least 59,106 people have been killed in Gaza since then, according to the territory’s Hamas-run health ministry.

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The United States has withdrawn its delegation from Doha, where it was participating in ceasefire negotiations this week, according to United States Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff.

The announcement came the same day Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office also announced that its negotiators in Doha would also be leaving in light of the response from Hamas. Witkoff also met with Israeli and Qatari officials in Rome Thursday, according to reports.

“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,” Witkoff said in a statement Thursday.

“While the mediators have made a great effort, 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.”

HAMAS ‘HARDENS’ STANCE IN CEASEFIRE TALKS AS NETANYAHU RECALLS NEGOTIATION TEAM

Witkoff added that it was a “shame” Hamas has acted in such a “selfish way,” adding the U.S. stands resolute in its efforts to bring permanent peace to the region.

According to Israeli media reports, Hamas is now demanding the release of 200 Palestinians serving life sentences for murdering Israelis and an additional 2,000 Palestinians detained in Gaza after Oct. 7.

The demand significantly exceeds the previous mediator-backed framework reportedly accepted by Israel, which included the release of 125 life-term prisoners and 1,200 other detainees.

US-BACKED ORG SOUNDS THE ALARM OVER ABANDONED AID FOR GAZA, CALLS FOR UN COLLABORATION

At a State Department briefing Thursday, principal deputy spokesperson Tommy Pigott would not elaborate on any details pertaining to the “alternative options” the U.S. was considering in its effort to bring home hostages and create a more stable environment in Gaza.

“At this point, (there’s) nothing to preview,” Pigott told reporters.

Pigott was also asked whether the U.S. would ever work within the Doha framework to advance negotiations again, a framework that has included representatives from Egypt, Qatar, Hamas, Israel and the United States, but he similarly did not share any details on that front.

“Ultimately, the special envoy statement speaks for itself, but I think the broader context here is also important. The fact that we have seen Hamas first break that ceasefire that existed on Oct. 7, then break another ceasefire, and then, here, as the special envoy makes clear, not acting in a way in order to achieve a ceasefire again,” Pigott said Thursday. “So, to reiterate, the question has never been our commitment to a ceasefire. It has been Hamas’. They have shown that again and again and again and have just shown it once again.”

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“Israel has long accepted a deal on the table, and Hamas has long rejected it,” he added.

During Thursday’s press briefing at the State Department, the agency also confirmed that the U.S. would not be participating in an upcoming United Nations conference discussing a potential two-state solution between Israelis and the Palestinians.

Fox News’ Efrat Lachter contributed to this report.

United States special envoy Steve Witkoff has said he is cutting short talks aimed at reaching a truce in Israel’s war on Gaza, after the latest proposal from Hamas showed “a lack of desire to reach a ceasefire”.

Witkoff made the announcement in a statement on Thursday, just hours after the office of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel had also recalled its negotiating team from Qatar amid the latest diplomatic flurry.

Hamas, which has repeatedly accused Israel of blocking a ceasefire agreement, said it was surprised by Witkoff’s remarks.

“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.

Earlier in the day, Hamas had submitted its latest response to a ceasefire framework floated by mediators Qatar, Egypt and the US. Netanyahu’s office confirmed receipt of the response, and said it was under review. Neither side disclosed the contents.

Both Israel and Hamas are facing growing international pressure to reach an agreement as the humanitarian and hunger crisis in the territory continues to deteriorate sharply amid Israel’s severe restrictions on the entry of aid.

At least 115 people have died from malnutrition since Israel launched its war on Gaza in October 2023, mostly in recent weeks, as the United Nations and aid agencies have warned that Gaza’s residents were facing mass starvation.

“While the mediators have made a great effort, Hamas does not appear to be coordinated or acting in good faith,” Witkoff said in a statement.

“We will now consider alternative options to bring the hostages home and try to create a more stable environment for the people of Gaza,” Witkoff said, without elaborating.

Witkoff, a businessman with no formal diplomatic experience prior to his appointment, said the US remains “resolute” in seeking an end to the war in Gaza, adding it was “a shame that Hamas has acted in this selfish way”.

The current proposal under discussion has been reported to include a 60-day ceasefire in which Hamas would release 10 living captives and the remains of 18 others. In turn, Palestinians imprisoned by Israel would be released and aid supplies would be ramped up as the two sides held negotiations on a lasting truce.

Details of the current sticking point were not immediately clear, but officials from both sides have previously pointed to a dispute over what would happen in the wake of any new ceasefire.

Israel has repeatedly said it plans to deploy the military long term in Gaza, seeking a complete defeat of Hamas, despite warnings that such a goal is unrealistic.

Earlier this month, Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz reportedly laid out a plan for the forced transfer of Palestinians to a “humanitarian city” within Gaza, a maximalist approach that critics say would violate international law.

Israel’s government has also faced domestic pressure over the plan, amid fears it would foreclose ceasefire negotiations and block the release of captives still held in Gaza.

Reporting from Washington, DC, Al Jazeera’s Shihab Rattansi said it remained unclear whether the US withdrawal from the talks was a “negotiating tactic”.

“It’s a very sternly worded tweet, talking about ‘alternative options for a more stable environment for the people of Gaza,’” he said.

“We know that Trump simply hasn’t ruled out ethnic cleansing, so-called ‘self deportation’, in his words, of Palestinians.”

“Right now, we simply don’t know whether it’s a negotiating position or the end of the negotiations,” Rattansi said.

Israel’s war in Gaza has killed at least 59,587 Palestinians since it began in the wake of the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, which killed at least 1,139 people.

This week, more than 100 aid groups blamed Israel’s restrictions on aid for “mass starvation” in the enclave.

[Aljazeera]

No 10 not signalling any shift in position on Palestinian state

Helen Catt

Political correspondent

Image source, Reuters

As ever, Keir Starmer is walking a potentially tricky trans-Atlantic diplomatic tightrope .

He’s got a call with Emmanuel Macron later, whose decision to say he will recognise a Palestinian state within months, has put pressure on the UK’s position.

Then President Trump flies in to Scotland, after his administration criticised the French move.

Despite growing calls from within Westminster for the UK to move towards recognition, Downing Street has not signalled it’s planning any shift in position.

In any case, it seems very unlikely any change would come before the planned meeting between the prime minister and the president.