In a move that raised doubts about its participation in a conference scheduled for this Thursday, the militant Palestinian organization Hamas on Sunday requested that the mediators provide a proposal based on past discussions rather than starting over in new talks for a ceasefire agreement in Gaza.
In order to complete a deal on a Gaza truce and captive release, leaders of the US, Egypt, and Qatar pushed Israel and Hamas to get together for talks on August 15 in Cairo or Doha last week.
Israel declared that it would send negotiators to attend the meeting. Hamas has signaled that it might not participate in the current round of talks, though it initially said that it was examining the offer.
According to a statement from Hamas, the movement demands that the mediators provide a plan for carrying out the decisions made by the movement on July 2, 2024, that follows the UN Security Council resolution and the vision of President Joe Biden.
The statement claimed that rather than pursuing further rounds of talks or suggestions that would justify the occupation's violence and give it more time to carry out its murder on their people, the mediators ought to enforce this on the occupation (Israel).
Ismail Haniyeh, the leader of the party, was assassinated in Tehran late last month, according to Hamas, and although the organization has demonstrated flexibility during the negotiation process, Israeli actions suggest that it is not serious about negotiating a ceasefire deal. Israel has not acknowledged or denied responsibility.
In a speech on May 31, President Joe Biden outlined a three-phase ceasefire proposal. Since then, Washington and other regional mediators have attempted to arrange an agreement to exchange captives for a ceasefire in Gaza, but they have encountered numerous difficulties.
Since the recent deaths of Hezbollah military commander Fuad Shukr in Beirut and Hamas leader in Iran led to threats of revenge against Israel, there has also been a higher risk of a wider Middle East conflict.
Israel began its assault on Gaza following a surprise attack by Hamas fighters in southern Israel on October 7. Israeli estimates indicate that it killed 1,200 people, largely civilians, and captured over 250 hostages.
The health ministry reports that the Israeli attack in Gaza has killed almost 40,000 Palestinians since then.