The Biden administration is maintaining its push for a ceasefire agreement in Gaza, even though Qatar, a key mediator in the talks, recently halted its involvement, according to a statement from State Department spokesperson Vedant Patel on Tuesday.
“We’re continuing to pursue a number of initiatives to secure the release of hostages. That work is ongoing. We have not given up hope,” Patel stated.
“It’s critical to us to get a deal done as soon as possible, especially so that we can bring the remaining hostages home to their families,” he added.
However, efforts to finalize a hostage release deal encountered a major obstacle over the weekend when Qatar announced it would suspend its mediation role until both parties showed greater commitment.
On Shabbos, Qatar announced that it would stop mediating until both Israel and Hamas “show their willingness and determination.”
Reports this past weekend indicated that, in addition to suspending mediation, Qatar had asked Hamas’ leaders to leave the country, but Majed Al-Ansari, a spokesperson for Qatar’s foreign ministry, dismissed these claims.
On the matter of Hamas operating from Qatar, Patel remarked, “We have, going back as far as we all can remember, been explicitly clear with countries around the world that certainly it can no longer be business as usual with Hamas.”
Together with Egypt and the U.S., Qatar has been central to recent mediation efforts aimed at securing a ceasefire and hostages’ release.
The U.S. has been advocating for a ceasefire and hostage release framework initially proposed by President Joe Biden in May, but Hamas has rejected this plan, along with all other proposals put forward.
Recently, Egypt proposed a two-day ceasefire agreement that would see the release of four Israeli hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners in Israel, with further negotiations for a broader deal taking place over the following ten days.
Initially, Hamas opposed a proposal that would have seen the return of some hostages for a limited period, followed by the resumption of hostilities. However, sources within Hamas later told Asharq Al-Awsat that the group was willing to consider Egypt’s plan as well as other options.
On Sunday, White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan clarified during an appearance on CBS News’ Face the Nation that Hamas was responsible for the failure of the negotiations, not Israel.
{Matzav.com}
