Gaza City, Palestinian Territories — A Hamas official on Friday accused US envoy Steve Witkoff of reneging on Washington’s positions and distorting reality after he announced the United States’ withdrawal from Gaza truce talks and accused the group of blocking a deal.
“The negative statements of the US envoy Witkoff run completely counter to the context in which the last negotiations were held, and he is perfectly aware of this, but they come to serve the Israeli position,” said Hamas political bureau member Bassem Naim in an interview with AFP.
“They are part of a logic of support for the Israeli position,” he added.
Indirect negotiations between Israel and Hamas for a ceasefire have reached an impasse, more than two weeks after they began.
The United States joined Israel on Thursday in pulling its negotiators from the talks, with Witkoff blaming Hamas for the failure to reach a deal and saying Washington would “consider alternative options”.
Mediators in Qatar had been shuttling between Israeli and Hamas delegations in a bid to secure a breakthrough in indirect talks for a ceasefire and the release of Israeli hostages, nearly two years into the war.
Witkoff on Thursday acknowledged the failure of the talks, held in Doha under Qatari, US and Egyptian mediation, announcing the recall of the US team for consultations and questioning Hamas’s good faith.
Naim accused Witkoff of backtracking, saying the US envoy had considered the discussions “positive” only a few days ago.
“The mediators welcomed Hamas’s response very positively, which they considered constructive and likely to lead to an agreement, especially since it is very close to the proposal submitted by the mediators to both parties,” he added.
He said the latest discussions focused on details of an Israeli army withdrawal from the Gaza Strip.
Naim added that an “agreement in principle” had even been reached on a “formula” for the exchange of hostages taken in Israel on October 7, 2023, and Palestinian prisoners held by Israel.
He accused Israel of having no intention of reaching a truce and urged Witkoff to “put pressure” on the Israeli government.
Hamas did not want a ceasefire: Trump
President Donald Trump said that Hamas did not want a ceasefire deal in Gaza.
“It was too bad. Hamas didn’t really want to make a deal. I think they want to die,” Trump said.
Trump blamed Hamas, saying “now we’re down to the final hostages, and they know what happens after you get the final hostages.”
The US president also dismissed the decision by France’s Emmanuel Macron to recognize a Palestinian state.
“He’s a very good guy, I like him, but that statement doesn’t carry weight,” Trump said.
