Israeli PM Netanyahu on Wednesday reiterated his stance on continuing the Gaza war [Getty]
Israel has decided to withdraw all members of its negotiating team from the Qatari capital Doha, Israeli media reported on Thursday.
The decision, reported by Israel’s Channel 13, citing unnamed sources, follows Tel Aviv’s withdrawal of senior officials earlier this week, amid a deadlock in the indirect negotiations with Hamas.
On Wednesday, Channel 13 quoted an Israeli official as saying that they were unable to reach an agreement that was acceptable to both sides. Israeli public broadcaster Kan, meanwhile, quoted another official saying that the talks had reached a “dead end”.
“It was decided to return the entire delegation from Doha, because Hamas has not responded to the American proposal that Israel accepted, and is sticking to its rejectionist position,” an unnamed Israeli official reportedly said, according to Hebrew-language news website Ynet.
The official added: “If a change occurs and Hamas accepts the offer, the delegation will be immediately sent to wherever it is needed.”
Israel’s downgrading of its delegation to Doha follows Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s statement on Wednesday, in which he doubled down on continuing the war on Gaza.
“If there is an option for a temporary ceasefire to free hostages, we’ll be ready,” Netanyahu said, while also reaffirming his aim of bringing the entirety of Gaza under Israeli control.
“We must avoid a humanitarian crisis in order to preserve our freedom of operational action,” he said.
The statement was slammed by Hamas, who said the Israeli leader was intent on carrying out “genocide” in Gaza and carrying out US President Donald Trump’s plan of displacing the enclave’s entire Palestinian population.
The Israeli Hostages and Missing Families Forum said Israel has “no right” to abandon the negotiations in Doha, saying that the remaining Israeli captives will be put in “grave danger”.
The forum noted that “a clear agreement has been on the table for more than a year” and urged the government to agree on a deal and end the war on Gaza.
Israel’s war on Gaza has killed over 61,700 Palestinians and plunged the Strip into a deep humanitarian crisis. Leading international rights groups, including Amnesty International, have determined that the war amounts to genocide.
