Hamas won't attend Doha talks unless discussing implementation: Hamdan
3 Min Read
Hamas politburo member Osama Hamdan says the Resistance group informed mediators that any meeting should be based on discussing implementation mechanisms and setting deadlines,
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Palestinians flee from northern Gaza as Israeli tanks block the Salah al-Din road in the central Gaza Strip on November 24, 2023 (AP)
On Wednesday, Hamas announced that it would not participate in the upcoming round of Gaza ceasefire talks scheduled for Thursday in Qatar, stating that a proposal already exists on the table, and all it requires is implementation.
An official familiar with the discussions mentioned that mediators still plan to consult with the Palestinian Resistance movement afterward, Reuters reported.
Hamas said earlier this week that it had already accepted in June the ceasefire proposal put forward by US President Joe Biden, whose national security advisor later revealed that it was in fact an Israeli proposal. The group said it would only attend the talks if the discussions were regarding the implementation process.
Read more: For Gaza ceasefire, Hamas says implementation needed not more talks
Washington considered that a ceasefire agreement remains possible, and warned that swift progress is necessary to prevent the war from escalating further.
Meanwhile, Axios reported that US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has delayed his trip to the Middle East, which was initially expected to start on Tuesday.
Reuters claimed that three Iranian officials said that Iran's direct retaliation against "Israel" for assassinating Hamas' politburo chief Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran can only be held back if a ceasefire in Gaza is reached.
Read more: UN says 'Israel' blocking crucial aid missions from Gaza
The Israeli delegation to the ceasefire talks in Doha consists of Mossad chief David Barnea, the head of Shin Bet Ronen Bar, and the head of the Prisoners of War and Missing Persons Center, Nitzan Alon, Israeli reports said.
"Israel will send the negotiations team on the agreed upon date, that's tomorrow August 15th, in order to finalise the details of the implementation of the framework agreement," Israeli government spokesperson David Mencer told reporters.
Israeli media reported earlier this week that Security Minister Yoav Gallant accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of sabotaging the ceasefire talks.
“The reason a hostage deal is stalling is in part because of Israel," Gallant said in a private briefing for a parliamentary committee on Monday.
Read more: Netanyahu's add-ons hamper final deal with Hamas: NBC News
“I and the defense establishment support the [ceasefire] option” to prevent a military escalation with Hezbollah, rather than talk of 'total victory’ and all that nonsense," the security minister said referring to Netanyahu's constantly repeated phrase.
Hamas politburo member Osama Hamdan said on Wednesday that the Resistance group "informed the mediators that … any meeting should be based on talking about implementation mechanisms and setting deadlines rather than negotiating something new... otherwise, Hamas finds no reason to participate.”
In a similar context, Senior Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhriv told Reuters: "Going to new negotiations allows the occupation to impose new conditions and employ the maze of negotiation to conduct more massacres."
"Hamas is committed to the proposal presented to it on July 2, which is based on the U.N. Security Council resolution and the Biden speech and the movement is prepared to immediately begin discussion over a mechanism to implement it," Abu Zuhri added.
