Qatar, Egypt warn US of ‘little chance’ for Hamas to accept its new proposal: Israeli media

JERUSALEM (AA) – Qatar and Egypt have warned the US that there is “little chance” for the Palestinian group Hamas to accept its latest proposal for a Gaza cease-fire, Israeli media reported.

Gaza cease-fire talks in Qatar concluded on Friday with a new “proposal that narrows the gaps” between Israel and Hamas, claiming that it is consistent with the principles supported by US President Joe Biden on May 31. However, Hamas rejected it, saying it aligns with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s new one-sided conditions.

The Israeli public broadcaster KAN quoted informed sources as saying that in the past few days, the Qatari and Egyptian mediators warned Washington that there is little chance for Hamas to accept it.

The new proposal came out under the US proposal because the mediators did not want to be a part of it, despite taking part in Friday’s announcement following the talks, it added.

Following the conclusion of the Doha talks on Friday, Hamas said the newly announced “proposal meets Netanyahu’s conditions and aligns with them, particularly his refusal of a permanent cease-fire, (of) a complete withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, and his insistence on continuing the occupation of the Netzarim Junction, the Rafah crossing, and the Philadelphi Corridor,” Hamas said in a statement.

“He (Netanyahu) also set new conditions in the hostage swap file and retracted from other terms, which obstructs the completion of the deal,” Hamas added.

The group reiterated its commitment to what it agreed on in July based on Biden’s announcement in May and the UN Security Council resolution in June.

For months, the US, Qatar, and Egypt have been trying to reach an agreement between Israel and Hamas to ensure a prisoner exchange and cease-fire and allow humanitarian aid to enter Gaza. However, mediation efforts have been stalled due to Netanyahu’s intransigent refusal to meet Hamas’s demands to stop the war.