Qatar, Egypt and the US have been key mediators in talks between Israel and Hamas to finish the battle in Gaza.
Qatar and Egypt, key gamers within the ceasefire talks between Israel and Hamas, have questioned the way forward for negotiations following the Hamas political chief Ismail Haniyeh’s assassination.
Haniyeh was killed in Tehran in what the Palestinian group described as “a treacherous Zionist raid on his residence”.
“Political assassinations and continued focusing on of civilians in Gaza whereas talks proceed leads us to ask, how can mediation succeed when one occasion assassinates the negotiator on the opposite facet?” Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani wrote on X.
“Peace wants severe companions & a world stance in opposition to the disregard for human life.”
Political assassinations & continued focusing on of civilians in Gaza whereas talks proceed leads us to ask, how can mediation succeed when one occasion assassinates the negotiator on the opposite facet? Peace wants severe companions & a world stance in opposition to the disregard for human life.
— محمد بن عبدالرحمن (@MBA_AlThani_) July 31, 2024
Egypt’s Ministry of International Affairs stated a “harmful Israeli escalation coverage” over the previous two days had undermined efforts to dealer an finish to the combating in Gaza the place virtually 40,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli assaults since October final 12 months.
“The coincidence of this regional escalation with the shortage of progress within the ceasefire negotiations in Gaza will increase the complexity of the state of affairs and signifies the absence of Israeli political will to calm it down,” a International Ministry assertion stated.
“It undercuts the strenuous efforts made by Egypt and its companions to cease the battle within the Gaza Strip and put an finish to the human struggling of the Palestinian individuals.”
Qatar, Egypt and the US have repeatedly tried to attain a ceasefire within the battle on Gaza. However a last deal to halt the battle and launch captives held in Gaza, in addition to Palestinian prisoners held by Israel, has been difficult and there was no signal of progress on the newest spherical of talks in Rome on Sunday.
Nour Odeh, a political analyst informed Al Jazeera that it might be very tough for the ceasefire talks to have any traction at this level.
“Perhaps there wouldn’t be a dramatic change within the dynamics on the bottom in Gaza relating to combating, however definitely the prospects of a ceasefire urgently wanted … are extra distant than they’ve ever been,” she stated.
In Deir el-Balah, in central Gaza, Palestinians mourning the killing of Haniyeh shared related sentiments.
“This man [Haniyeh] might have signed the prisoner alternate cope with the Israelis,” Saleh al-Shannar, who was displaced from his house in northern Gaza, informed The Related Press.
“Why did they kill him? They killed peace, not Ismail Haniyeh.”
Nour Abu Salam, a displaced lady, stated the killing confirmed that Israel doesn’t need to finish the battle and set up peace within the area. “By assassinating Haniyeh, they’re destroying the whole lot,” she stated.
‘Gaza ceasefire important’
After the killing of the Hamas chief, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken stated a Gaza ceasefire is important to stop the battle from spreading to the remainder of the area.
“We’ve been working from day one not solely to attempt to get to a greater place in Gaza, but in addition to stop the battle from spreading, whether or not it’s the north with Lebanon and Hezbollah, whether or not it’s the Pink Sea with the Houthis, whether or not it’s Iran, Syria, Iraq, you identify it,” Blinken informed a discussion board in Singapore.
“A giant key to attempting to guarantee that doesn’t occur, and that we are able to transfer to a greater place, is getting the ceasefire.”
In response to US State Division spokesperson Matthew Miller, Blinken has spoken to Qatar’s prime minister and emphasised “the significance of continuous to work to achieve a ceasefire”.
In the meantime, Israeli officers, who haven’t but commented on Haniyeh’s assassination, have stated that ceasefire talks will proceed.
Israeli Protection Minister Yoav Gallant’s workplace stated on Wednesday that he had careworn the significance of continuous to work in direction of reaching a deal to launch the remaining 115 Israeli and overseas captives in a telephone name along with his US counterpart Lloyd Austin.
Israeli authorities spokesperson David Mencer informed reporters in an internet briefing that Israel remained dedicated to the negotiations.
