Trump envoy Witkoff says US cuts short Gaza ceasefire talks as Hamas lacks ‘good faith'

Arab News

3 days ago

WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff said Thursday the United States is cutting short Gaza ceasefire talks and bringing its negotiating team home from Qatar for consultations after the latest response from Hamas 'shows a lack of desire to reach a ceasefire in Gaza.'
'While the mediators have made a great effort, Hamas does not appear to be coordinated or acting in good faith,' Witkoff said in a statement. 'We will now consider alternative options to bring the hostages home and try to create a more stable environment for the people of Gaza.'
It was unclear what 'alternative options' the US was considering. The White House had no immediate comment, and the State Department did not immediately respond to messages.
A breakthrough in talks on a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas has eluded Trump's administration for months as conditions worsen in Gaza. The territory recently had its deadliest day yet for aid-seekers in over 21 months of war, with at least 85 Palestinians killed while trying to reach food Sunday.
The sides have held weeks of talks in Qatar, reporting small signs of progress but no major breakthroughs. Officials have said a main sticking point is the redeployment of Israeli troops after any ceasefire takes place.
Witkoff said the US is 'resolute' in seeking an end to the conflict in Gaza and it was 'a shame that Hamas has acted in this selfish way.'
Earlier Thursday, Israeli Prime Minster Benjamin Netanyahu's office recalled his country's negotiating team back to Israel in light of Hamas' response. In a brief statement, the prime minister's office expressed its appreciation for the efforts of Witkoff and mediators Qatar and Egypt, but it gave no further details.
The deal under discussion is expected to include an initial 60-day ceasefire in which Hamas would release 10 living hostages and the remains of 18 others in phases in exchange for Palestinians imprisoned by Israel. Aid supplies would be ramped up and the two sides would hold negotiations on a lasting ceasefire.
The talks have been bogged down over competing demands for ending the war. Hamas says it will only release all hostages in exchange for a full Israeli withdrawal and end to the war. Israel says it will not agree to end the war until Hamas gives up power and disarms, a condition the militant group rejects.
Hamas is believed to be holding the hostages in different locations, including tunnels, and says it has ordered its guards to kill them if Israeli forces approach.
The breakdown in talks is the latest setback for Trump as he's tried to position himself as peacemaker and made little secret of the fact he wants to receive a Nobel Peace Prize. The Republican president also had promised to quickly negotiate an end to Russia's war in Ukraine, but little progress has been made there, either.
With the war in Gaza, Trump earlier this month met with Netanyahu at the White House, putting his weight behind a push to reach a breakthrough and a ceasefire agreement.
But despite his newly strengthened partnership with Netanyahu following their countries' joint strikes on Iran, the Israeli leader left Washington without any announced breakthrough.
The State Department said earlier in the week that Witkoff would be traveling to the Middle East for talks, but US officials later said that Witkoff would instead travel to Europe. It was unclear if he was holding meetings there Thursday.
The apparent derailing of the talks comes as Israel's blockade and military offensive have driven Gaza to the brink of famine, according to aid groups. The UN food agency says nearly 100,000 women and children are suffering from severe, acute malnutrition, and the Gaza Health Ministry has reported a rise in hunger-related deaths.
Israel has come under mounting pressure, with 28 Western-aligned countries calling for an end to the war and harshly criticizing Israel's blockade and a new aid delivery model it has rolled out.
More than 100 charity and human rights groups released a similar letter, saying that even their own staff are struggling to get enough food.
The US and Israel rejected the allegations and blamed Hamas for prolonging the war by not accepting their terms for a ceasefire.
Israel says it is allowing in enough aid and blames UN agencies for not distributing it. But those agencies say it is nearly impossible to safely deliver it because of Israeli restrictions and a breakdown of law and order, with crowds of thousands unloading food trucks as soon as they move into Gaza.
A separate Israeli-backed system run by an American contractor has also been marred by chaos.