Hamas has stated that any future ceasefire negotiations concerning the ongoing conflict in Gaza should be grounded in previously established frameworks, rejecting the idea of new rounds of discussions. This stance comes after international mediators from Qatar, Egypt, and the United States urged both Israel and Hamas to engage in talks scheduled for August 15, aimed at securing a ceasefire and addressing the release of hostages.
Israel confirmed its participation in the upcoming negotiations last Thursday, announcing it would send a team of negotiators. The talks had stalled last month after new conditions were introduced to the framework initially proposed by U.S. President Joe Biden in May.
In a joint statement issued on Monday, leaders from the United Kingdom, France, and Germany—Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, President Emmanuel Macron, and Chancellor Olaf Scholz—called for the immediate resumption of negotiations. They stressed the urgency of the situation, stating, “There can be no further delay.” The leaders emphasized their commitment to preventing further escalation and expressed their readiness to work tirelessly to reduce tensions and achieve stability in the region.
The call for de-escalation comes amid heightened tensions in the Middle East, following the assassination of senior figures from Hamas and Hezbollah. U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin confirmed on Sunday the deployment of a guided missile submarine to the region, which will join the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln as part of a broader military presence in response to the growing crisis.
Hamas, responding to the mediators’ push for renewed talks, asserted that discussions should resume based on President Biden’s May proposal, rather than any new initiatives. The group criticized the introduction of new terms by Israel, accusing it of using negotiations to extend its military actions in Gaza. “The mediators should enforce this on the occupation [Israel] instead of pursuing further rounds of negotiations or new proposals that would provide cover for the occupation’s aggression and grant it more time to continue its genocide against our people,” read a statement from Hamas.
Sources indicate that the recent breakdown in talks was largely due to Israel’s insistence on screening displaced Palestinians returning to northern Gaza and controlling the Philadelphi corridor along the Egypt border. Hamas has signaled its willingness to resume discussions from the point where these new conditions were introduced.
The situation on the ground remains dire. On Sunday, the Israeli military ordered thousands of Palestinians in Khan Younis, southern Gaza, to relocate to designated “humanitarian zones.” This order followed an Israeli airstrike on a school in Gaza the previous day, which reportedly killed over 70 people. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) claimed the school was being used as a military facility by Hamas and Islamic Jihad, a charge that Hamas has denied.
As the conflict continues, the casualty toll rises on both sides. Israel maintains that Hamas is exploiting civilian infrastructure for military purposes, which Hamas disputes. The initial attack by Hamas-led gunmen on Israel on October 7, which left around 1,200 people dead and resulted in 251 hostages being taken to Gaza, has triggered the ongoing Israeli military offensive in Gaza, escalating the war further.