AMN
Israel has recalled its negotiators from Doha after deeming mediated talks on a Gaza truce “at a dead end” due to demands by Hamas, a senior Israeli official said. The official, who is close to the Mossad spymaster heading up the talks, yesterday accused Hamas’ Gaza leader Yahya Sinwar of sabotaging the diplomacy as part of a wider effort to inflame this war over Ramadan. The warring sides had stepped up negotiations, mediated by Qatar and Egypt, on a six-week suspension of Israel’s offensive in return for the proposed release of 40 of the 130 hostages still held by the Palestinian militant group in Gaza.
Hamas has sought to parlay any deal into an end to the fighting and withdrawal of Israeli forces. Israel has ruled this out, saying it would eventually resume efforts to dismantle the governance and military capabilities of Hamas. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said that Hamas had made “delusional” demands, which it said showed the Palestinians were not interested in a deal.Hamas has accused Israel of stalling at the talks while it carries out its military offensive. The discussions in Doha are continuing as Palestinians in Gaza face severe shortages of food, medicine and hospital care, and concerns grow that famine will take hold.