Hamas loses faith in US as mediator for Gaza ceasefire talks - Media

Hamdan stated that Hamas will only participate if the talks focus on implementing the proposal put forth by President Joe Biden in May of this year, which has international approval.

The Associated Press notes that the US presented this proposal to Israel, and Hamas agreed to it. However, Israel claimed that Biden’s speech did not fully align with the proposal itself. Subsequently, both sides suggested changes, leading each to accuse the other of obstructing the agreement.

Hamas is particularly resisting Israel’s demand to maintain a permanent military presence in two strategic areas of Gaza after the ceasefire, conditions that have only been revealed in recent weeks.

“We have 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,” said Hamdan, who is a member of Hamas’ Political Bureau, which includes the group’s top political leaders and sets its policies.

According to the Associated Press, it remains unclear whether Hamas will participate in the talks, which are set to begin today, Thursday.

Hamdan's interview took place amid new efforts to end the war sparked by the October 7 attack on Israel, during which Hamas militants killed 1,200 people and took around 250 hostages in Gaza. Israel responded with devastating airstrikes and a ground invasion, resulting in the deaths of approximately 40,000 Palestinians and extensive destruction.

There are now concerns that the conflict could escalate into a full-scale war.

Reasons for escalation

The situation in the Middle East has further intensified following the killing of Hamas leader Ismail Ghani and Hezbollah commander Fouad Shukri. Iran has blamed Israel for these actions, which Israel has neither confirmed nor commented on publicly but acknowledged in comments to US officials.

Iran is reportedly preparing to respond to Israel. The exact timing is unknown, but there are global fears of further escalation.

Meanwhile, the new leader of Hamas, Yahya Sinwar, recently communicated through intermediaries Israel’s desire to engage in ceasefire negotiations. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is open to reaching an agreement, though Israeli security services remain skeptical of such statements.

Earlier, it was reported that the Israel Defense Forces had eliminated senior Hamas commander Samer Mahmoud al-Haj in Lebanon.