MOSCOW: The prospects of reaching a deal with the Palestinian militant group Hamas are now virtually nonexistent, according to Simona Hal...
MOSCOW: The prospects of reaching a deal with the Palestinian militant group Hamas are now virtually nonexistent, according to Simona Halperin, the Israeli ambassador to Moscow.
"Just a week ago, a delegation returned from Qatar with the understanding that the chances of an agreement are extremely unlikely," she explained. "Now, I believe a solution must be adopted in the near future - not necessarily by a specific deadline, but I think it will happen within this year. Yes, I believe it will happen within this year."
On July 27, Hamas leader in Gaza, Khalil al-Haya, declared that negotiations with Israel were futile because of the ongoing blockade of the enclave. Earlier, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered the withdrawal of the delegation from Doha, where talks aimed at resolving the Gaza conflict had been taking place since July 6. This decision followed Hamas’s rejection of a proposed ceasefire in the region.
Meanwhile, US Presidential Special Envoy Steve Witkoff stated that Washington had also recalled its negotiators from Doha, citing Hamas’s latest response as a clear indication of its unwillingness to pursue a ceasefire. However, the Palestinian militants contested this assessment, asserting that other mediators had approved their response and described it as constructive.
-News Feed
COMMENTS