Hamas and Islamic Jihad accuse Israel of sabotaging ceasefire talks

Palestinian factions Hamas and Islamic Jihad have accused Israel of sabotaging a ceasefire agreement reached during recent talks in Qatar.

This accusation was made in a joint statement issued by the two groups and broadcast by Lebanese TV channel, Caliber.Az reports.

In the statement, Hamas and Islamic Jihad asserted, "The leadership of Hamas and Islamic Jihad hold the leaders of the [Israeli] occupation responsible for derailing the ceasefire talks and refusing to recognize the results achieved in the previous stages."

Earlier, the Israeli Prime Minister's office indicated that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is continuing efforts to advance a deal concerning the Gaza Strip, aiming to maximize the number of released hostages. The office emphasized that the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) are maintaining their position along the corridor between the Gaza Strip and Egypt. Hamas criticized the new ceasefire proposal for introducing additional Israeli conditions related to the hostage exchange and for deviating from previously agreed-upon points.

The ceasefire talks, which took place in Doha, Qatar, on August 15-16, involved representatives from Qatar, Egypt, the United States, and Israel. Hamas initially declined to participate in the talks due to the lack of specific details on the truce terms.

According to a joint statement from the US, Qatar, and Egypt, the mediators presented a ceasefire proposal aimed at narrowing the gaps between the conflicting sides. The statement described the Doha discussions as serious and constructive, occurring in a positive atmosphere. It was noted that senior government officials from Egypt, the US, and Qatar are scheduled to meet in Cairo before the end of next week in hopes of reaching an agreement based on the terms proposed.