Hamas Withdraws From Ceasefire Talks, Citing Israel’s Lack Of Commitment”

Hamas has announced that it will not participate in ceasefire talks scheduled for this Thursday. A Hamas representative in Lebanon, Ahmad Abdul Hadi, told Sky News that while the group is not opposed to ceasefire talks “in principle,” it will not join this week’s discussions.

Hadi accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of using negotiations as a pretext to continue and expand the conflict.

Hamas stated that it would return to negotiations if Israel made a “clear commitment” to a ceasefire proposal that Hamas put forward in July.

The group also expressed anger over the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh and a recent deadly attack on a school in Gaza City.

Mediators from Qatar, Egypt, and the US have been working to broker a ceasefire agreement. Their proposed three-phase plan includes the release of hostages held by Hamas in exchange for Palestinian prisoners, and Israel’s withdrawal from Gaza.

However, Hamas’s decision to pull out of talks comes amid reports that US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has postponed his trip to the Middle East due to “uncertainty about the situation.”

This development follows Hamas firing two rockets at Tel Aviv, marking the first such attack in months. The conflict has resulted in nearly 40,000 Palestinian deaths in Gaza, according to the Hamas-run health ministry.