US Cuts Short Gaza Ceasefire Talks     07/25 06:13

   The United States is cutting short Gaza ceasefire talks and bringing its 
negotiating team home from Qatar to discuss next steps after Hamas' latest 
response "shows a lack of desire" to reach a truce, President Donald Trump's 
special envoy Steve Witkoff said Thursday.

   WASHINGTON (AP) -- The United States is cutting short Gaza ceasefire talks 
and bringing its negotiating team home from Qatar to discuss next steps after 
Hamas' latest response "shows a lack of desire" to reach a truce, President 
Donald Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff said Thursday.

   "While the mediators have made a great effort, Hamas does not appear to be 
coordinated or acting in good faith," Witkoff said in a statement. "We will now 
consider alternative options to bring the hostages home and try to create a 
more stable environment for the people of Gaza."

   State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott would not offer details on what 
"alternative options" the U.S. is considering to free hostages held by the 
militant group.

   Hamas said in a statement that it was surprised by Witkoff's "negative 
remarks" and said it has shown responsibility and flexibility in the 
negotiating track. It added that it was "keen to reach an agreement that ends 
the aggression and the suffering of our people in Gaza."

   A breakthrough on a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas following 21 
months of war has eluded the Trump administration as humanitarian conditions 
worsen in Gaza. Thursday's move is the latest setback as Trump has tried to 
position himself as peacemaker and vowed to broker agreements in conflicts from 
Ukraine to Gaza.

   Talks for a Gaza ceasefire have dragged on

   When pressed on whether and how the U.S. would proceed on seeking a truce in 
Gaza, Pigott did not offer clarity and told reporters that "this is a very 
dynamic situation."

   He said there's never been a question of the U.S. commitment to reaching a 
ceasefire and faulted Hamas.

   The sides have held weeks of talks in Qatar, reporting small signs of 
progress but no major breakthroughs. Officials have said a main sticking point 
is the redeployment of Israeli troops after any ceasefire takes place.

   Witkoff said the U.S. is "resolute" in seeking an end to the conflict in 
Gaza and it was "a shame that Hamas has acted in this selfish way."

   The White House had no comment.

   Hamas, in the statement it released early Friday, said it had offered its 
final answer following wide consultations with Palestinian factions, mediators 
and countries in the region. It said it has dealt positively with all remarks 
it received reflecting a "true commitment" to making the efforts of the 
mediators successful and to "deal constructively" with the presented 
initiatives.

   Hamas said it reaffirmed its "keenness to continue the negotiations and to 
engage in a way that would ease obstacles and ensure reaching a permanent 
ceasefire."

   Israel also calls back its negotiators

   Earlier Thursday, Israeli Prime Minster Benjamin Netanyahu's office recalled 
his negotiating team in light of Hamas' response. In a brief statement, 
Netanyahu's office expressed appreciation for the efforts of Witkoff and other 
mediators Qatar and Egypt but gave no further details.

   The deal under discussion was expected to include an initial 60-day 
ceasefire in which Hamas would release 10 living hostages and the remains of 18 
others in phases in exchange for Palestinians imprisoned by Israel. Aid 
supplies would be ramped up, and the two sides would hold negotiations on a 
lasting ceasefire.

   The talks have been bogged down over competing demands for ending the war. 
Hamas says it will only release all hostages in exchange for a full Israeli 
withdrawal and end to the war. Israel says it will not agree to end the 
conflict until Hamas gives up power and disarms. The militant group says it is 
prepared to leave power but not surrender its weapons.

   Hamas is believed to be holding the hostages in different locations, 
including tunnels, and says it has ordered its guards to kill them if Israeli 
forces approach.

   Trump has been pushing for peace

   Trump has made little secret of the fact he wants to receive a Nobel Peace 
Prize. For instance, he has promised to quickly negotiate an end to Russia's 
war in Ukraine, but little progress has been made.

   On the war in Gaza, Trump met with Netanyahu at the White House this month, 
putting his weight behind a push to reach a deal.

   But despite a partnership further solidified by their countries' joint 
strikes on Iran, the Israeli leader left Washington without any breakthrough.

   The State Department had said earlier in the week that Witkoff would be 
traveling to the Middle East for talks, but U.S. officials later said that 
Witkoff would instead travel to Europe. It was unclear if he held meetings 
there Thursday.

   The apparent derailing of the talks comes as Israel's blockade and military 
offensive have driven Gaza to the brink of famine, according to aid groups. The 
U.N. food agency says nearly 100,000 women and children are suffering from 
severe, acute malnutrition, and the Gaza Health Ministry has reported a rise in 
hunger-related deaths.

   Israel is criticized for its role in Gaza

   British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said he would hold an emergency call 
Friday with officials from Germany and France to discuss how to urgently get 
food to people in need and launch steps to build a lasting peace.

   "The suffering and starvation unfolding in Gaza is unspeakable and 
indefensible," he said in a statement. The three European countries "all agree 
on the pressing need for Israel to change course and allow the aid that is 
desperately needed to enter Gaza without delay."

   French President Emmanuel Macron announced Thursday that France would 
recognize Palestine as a state, saying, "The urgent thing today is that the war 
in Gaza stops and the civilian population is saved."

   Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said in a social media post late 
Thursday, "Canada condemns the Israeli government's failure to prevent the 
rapidly deteriorating humanitarian disaster in Gaza." He called for "a 
two-state solution which guarantees peace and security for Israelis and 
Palestinians."

   Israel has come under mounting pressure, with 28 Western-aligned countries 
calling for an end to the war and harshly criticizing Israel's blockade and a 
new aid delivery model it has rolled out. More than 100 charity and human 
rights groups released a similar letter, saying even their own staff are 
struggling to get enough food.

   The U.S. and Israel rejected the allegations and blamed Hamas for prolonging 
the war by not accepting their terms for a ceasefire.

   Israel says it is allowing in enough aid and blames U.N. agencies for not 
distributing it. But those agencies say it is nearly impossible to safely 
deliver it because of Israeli restrictions and a breakdown of law and order, 
with crowds of thousands unloading food trucks as soon as they move into Gaza.

   A separate Israeli- and U.S.-backed system run by an American contractor has 
also been marred by chaos.

   "Of course, we want to see the end of devastation that is taking place in 
Gaza," Pigott said. "That is why we have supported the Gaza Humanitarian 
Foundation. That is why we've seen those 90 million meals being distributed."