Special envoy Steve Witkoff said in a statement that ‘Hamas does not appear to be coordinated or acting in good faith’
The United States recalled its diplomatic team from Qatar on Thursday, ending two weeks of intense ceasefire negotiations with Hamas after the terror group rejected the Trump administration’s latest offer.
“We have decided to bring our team home from Doha for consultations after the latest response from Hamas, which clearly shows a lack of desire to reach a ceasefire in Gaza,” special envoy Steve Witkoff said in a statement. “While the mediators have made a great effort, Hamas does not appear to be coordinated or acting in good faith.”
The Trump administration is now considering “alternative options to bring the hostages home and try to create a more stable environment for the people of Gaza.” Witkoff accused Hamas of acting in a “selfish way” and stressed that he and his team remain “resolute in seeking an end to this conflict and a permanent peace in Gaza.”
The talks, which Egypt and Qatar have mediated, reportedly stretched into the early morning hours on Thursday but failed to adequately address “significant gaps,” according to Israeli officials. Hamas reportedly desires guarantees that Israel will not resume its war effort even without a final deal within a 60-day ceasefire period. The terror group also wants Israel to release 200 prisoners serving life sentences and around 2,000 others who were arrested since the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks, the Jerusalem Post reported.
“We studied Hamas’s reply in depth,” an Israeli official told the Post. “The delegation held internal consultations and spoke directly with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. It was decided that the delegation should return to Israel to assess how best to narrow the gaps.”
Hamas additionally demanded that the United States end aid operations largely helmed by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, a condition the Washington Free Beacon first reported. The terror group wants aid operations to be handled exclusively by United Nations organizations like the Palestinian refugee agency UNRWA, which Israel banned earlier this year over its ties to Hamas and support for and participation in the Oct. 7 attacks.
The United States, Israel, and Qatar are reportedly set to meet in Italy to discuss Hamas’s response, which is “currently being reviewed” by Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, according to ABC News.