The White House insists on talks/Hamas warns of non-participation in the process

2024-08-15 18:17:48, Kosova & Bota CNA

The White House insists on talks/Hamas warns of non-participation in the process

Israeli soldiers patrol the Gaza Strip on August 15, 2024/Photo by the Israeli army/AFP

The United States and key regional brokers Egypt and Qatar are stepping up efforts to push Israel and Hamas to reach a ceasefire agreement. The new round of talks is scheduled to be held today in Doha.

Gazans said their last goodbyes to their family members killed by Israeli attacks, which have continued since the October 7 terrorist attack by Hamas, amid efforts by the United States and regional states to reach a ceasefire agreement.

The talks are expected to be held on Thursday in the Qatari capital, Doha. Hamas, which the United States has declared a terrorist organization, has signaled that it will not participate in the talks.

"We are waiting for the mediators to inform us that Israel has accepted the offer. "Each next meeting should focus on implementation mechanisms and setting deadlines and not on conducting negotiations on new aspects," says Hamas political official Osama Hamdan.

On Wednesday, White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre insisted that the United States is confident there will be talks.

"Always before negotiations there is a positioning of the parties. We've seen this before, it's not new,” she said.

But for President Joe Biden, peace remains elusive.

"It's getting harder and harder. We have to see what Iran will do and see what happens if they attack. But I don't give up," he declared.

There are concerns that Iran will attack Israel following the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh on Iranian soil. Israel has not claimed responsibility for the killing, but it is widely believed to have carried out the attack.

The United States has increased its military presence in the region as a deterrent against Iran and other groups linked to it, such as Hezbollah.

Hezbollah has intensified attacks from Lebanon along the border into Israel.

President Biden's envoy Amos Hochstein stayed in Beirut on Wednesday.

"We have no time to lose and neither side has any more excuses for delays," he declared.

The parties blame each other for the impasse.

"Hamas continues to impose new conditions and refuses to reach an agreement," said Israeli government spokesman David Mencer.

Meanwhile, analysts say President Biden should put more pressure on Israel.

"If he tells Netanyahu that it's over, whoever comes after him, whether it's President Harris or President Trump, they won't make concessions like they have done so far. So it's time to end it and start a new era," says Johns Hopkins University analyst Laura Blumenfeld.

This new era envisages the regional integration of Israel in exchange for the creation of a Palestinian state. But the achievement of this goal still seems distant. The cease-fire in Gaza remains the first step, for now unattainable./ VOA