An Israeli delegation departed negotiation talks in Doha, Qatar, on Tuesday after Hamas yet again rejected terms for a hostage release deal.
While Israel says some of its delegates remain in Doha, the majority of its officials have left the negotiations. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office condemned Hamas in a Tuesday statement, saying the terrorist organization was making unrealistic demands.
“Hamas’s position clearly proves that Hamas is not interested in continuing negotiations for a deal and is an unfortunate testimony to the damage of the Security Council’s decision,” Netanyahu’s office said.
“Hamas once again rejected any American compromise proposal and reiterated its extreme demands: an immediate end to the war, a complete withdrawal of the IDF from the Gaza Strip, and remaining in power so that it could repeat the massacre of October 7 again and again, as it had promised to do,” the statement continued.
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An Israeli delegation departed negotiation talks in Doha, Qatar, on Tuesday after Hamas yet again rejected terms for a hostage release deal. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg, Pool, File)
“Israel will not submit to the delusional demands of Hamas. It will continue to act to achieve all the goals of the war: to release all the abductees, to destroy the military and governmental capabilities of Hamas, and to ensure that Gaza will no longer pose a threat to Israel,” it added.
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The development comes as Israel appears poised to launch an invasion of Rafah, a Gaza city bordering Egypt that serves both as a refugee camp and Hamas’ final foothold in the region.
The development comes as Israel appears poised to launch an invasion of Rafah, which serves both as a refugee camp and Hamas’ final foothold in the region. (Reuters/Maxar Technologies)
The plans have been a point of major friction between Netanyahu and President Biden’s administration, which has repeatedly warned that an invasion would be a “huge mistake.”
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The Biden administration chose not to block a U.N. resolution calling for a cease-fire in Gaza on Monday. That led Netanyahu to also cancel an Israeli delegation’s trip to Washington. The visit was intended to determine whether a compromise could be reached regarding Rafah.
The Biden administration chose not to block a U.N. resolution calling for a cease-fire in Gaza on Monday, leading Netanyahu to also cancel an Israeli delegation’s trip to Washington. (Megan Varner/Getty Images)
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Netanyahu has vowed that the offensive will take place with or without U.S. support, arguing it is necessary for the goal of fully dismantling Hamas.