Negotiations aimed at brokering a ceasefire in Gaza concluded without an agreement on Sunday, as both Hamas and Israel rejected the latest proposal from mediators, two Reuters sources told Egyptian security sources.
The Jerusalem Post reported that Hamas has rebuffed new Israeli terms presented during the Gaza ceasefire negotiations, further dampening hopes for progress in the latest US-backed effort to end the 10-month conflict.
Successive rounds of talks have failed to secure an agreement to halt Israel’s military offensive in Gaza or facilitate the release of the remaining hostages seized by Hamas during its October 7 attack on Israel, which triggered the war.
Key sticking points in the ongoing negotiations, mediated by the United States, Egypt and Qatar, include the Israeli military presence in the Philadelphi Corridor, a 14.5-kilometre strip of land along Gaza’s southern border with Egypt.
Hamas claims Israel has reneged on its commitment to withdraw troops from the Corridor and has introduced additional terms, including the monitoring of displaced Palestinians as they return to the more densely populated northern enclave once a ceasefire takes effect.
“We will not accept discussions on rollbacks from what was agreed upon on July 2, nor will we accept new terms,” Hamas official Osama Hamdan said in an interview with Al-Aqsa TV on Sunday.
White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan stated on Sunday that the US is diligently working in Cairo to secure a Gaza ceasefire agreement. He also expressed concern about the potential for the Middle East conflict to escalate into a broader war.
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