The negotiations of Israel Hamas to extend the cease to extend the fire to Gaza were in Limbo on Thursday while the Trump administration turned his attention to the interviews with Russian officials in Moscow during the Ukraine war.
Steve Witkoff, sent to the Middle East of Mr. Trump, would have left the last round of Gaza’s talks in the emirate of the Gulf of Qatar for Russia on Thursday. Trump actually accused Mr. Witkoff of having worked to resolve two of the most full conflicts in the world: the wars of Gaza and Ukraine.
The last round of indirect negotiations between Israel and Hamas in the capital of the Qatar of Doha this week gave little fruit between the disagreements rooted for the next steps of the agreement, according to an Israeli official who is familiar with the interviews, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly.
In mid -January, the two parties agreed a multi -phase truce that in the end could have ended the Israeli military campaign against Hamas in Gaza and free the Israeli and foreign hostages held by Palestinian militants there. The ceased the fire began with a six -week break in the fighting, during which Hamas released more than 30 hostages in exchange for over 1,000 Palestinian prisoners held by Israel.
During the initial phase of the truce, Israel and Hamas had to negotiate a second phase that imagined the end of the war, the full retreat of the Israeli forces from Gaza and the release of all the surviving hostages still held in the area.
But the two parts remain very distant on how to go on. Israel is still promising to destroy Hamas and the demilitarization of Gaza is insisting. Hamas has largely refused to dissolve his armed battalions or to send his leaders of Gaza.
The first phase of 42 days is transformed in early March without an agreement in the second phase, but the fragile truce has resisted so far even without it.
Critics in Israel accused Benjamin Netanyahu, the prime minister, of draging his feet on an agreement for fear that his grip on power was attached. His far -right allies in the government coalition are pushing to go on with the war against Hamas despite the concerns of the families of the remaining hostages that their loved ones will not survive.
Up to 24 living hostages are still held in Gaza together with the remains of over 30 others who have been captured, according to the Israeli government. Hamas seized about 250 people in the attack on October 7, 2023 who killed about 1,200 people in Israel and turned on the devastating 15 -month war in Gaza.
At the beginning of this month, Israel imposed hard restrictions on humanitarian aid that enter Gaza, except for the entry of food and other goods so necessary. The Israeli authorities later cut electricity in a wastewater treatment center in Gaza.
This pushed the fears of a risoring humanitarian crisis in Gaza. The widespread deprivation in war was slightly loose since the fire and help trucks had started to enter freely.
The Qatar, who has Brokoning the truce next to Egypt and the United States, criticized the Israeli decision to close the crossings to help the fire ceased as violation of the ceased agreement.