Hamas denies the "illusion" that a truce in Gaza is "closer."

The UN requests a seven-day ceasefire in order to vaccinate children against polio.
August 18, 2024 

DOHA: Following talks in the Gulf emirate of Qatar, a senior Hamas leader on Saturday discounted hopeful remarks made by US President Joe Biden that a Gaza truce is getting closer.

"To claim that a deal is imminent is a mirage," stated Sami Abu Zuhri, a member of the Hamas political committee. "We are facing the imposition of American diktats, not a deal or real negotiations."

In response to Biden's Friday statement, "We are closer than we have ever been," he made this statement. Following two days of negotiations in Qatar, when Washington attempted to reconcile Israel and Hamas, Biden made his remarks. The Gaza Strip has seen fighting between the two parties for more than ten months.

Earlier hope during months of intermittent peace negotiations has thus far shown to be fruitless. However, following the swift assassinations of Hamas political chief Ismail Haniyeh and Fuad Shukr, senior operations chief of Lebanon's Hezbollah movement, in late July, the stakes have increased dramatically. Hezbollah, Iran, and other groups supported by Tehran in the region vowed to exact revenge on Israel for their killings.

The UN requests a seven-day ceasefire so that it may vaccinate children against polio.

Diplomats from the West and the Arab world have been traveling across the Middle East in an attempt to broker a settlement on Gaza, which they believe has the potential to prevent a wider regional confrontation.

Mediators from Egypt, Qatar, and the US are trying to finalize the specifics of a framework deal that Biden first proposed in May. It was Israel's idea, he said.

Following two days of negotiations in Qatar, the mediators issued a joint statement stating that they have given both parties a plan that “bridges remaining gaps”. They stated that negotiations to reach an agreement will pick back up in Cairo "before the end of next week." Hamas did not attend the Doha talks. Osama Hamdan, a group official, had stated that the group would participate if a schedule for carrying out what Hamas had already consented to was established during the conference.

According to officials, Hamas will not accept "new conditions" from Israel on Friday. The idea behind a potential end to hostilities has been to reach a settlement gradually, starting with a ceasefire.

The criteria for a ceasefire were outlined by the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and included "a veto on certain prisoners" being freed from its detention facilities.

Deal is allegedly "impeded" by Netanyahu.

The Egyptian presidency stated that President Abdel Fattah Al Sisi stressed the need "to seize the opportunity" presented by the continuing negotiations and "spare the region from the consequences of further escalation" during his meeting with French Foreign Minister Stephane Sejourne on Saturday in Cairo.

Jordan's Foreign Minister, Ayman Safadi, put pressure on Netanyahu, accusing him of "impeding attempts to finalize" a deal. Thousands of residents were once again on the move while ceasefire negotiations were underway, after new evacuation orders issued by the Israeli military in anticipation of impending military action in central-southern Gaza.

“During each round of negotiations, they exert pressure by forcing evacuations and committing massacres,” said Issa Murad, a Palestinian relocated to Deir el Balah.