Hamas Shuns New Talks on Gaza Ceasefire

Latest Developments

The Iranian-backed Hamas terrorist group confirmed in a statement on August 11 that it will not attend talks scheduled for this Thursday aimed at securing a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of the remaining Israeli hostages in captivity. The United States, Qatar, and Egypt earlier announced that the August 15 meeting, expected to be held in either Doha or Cairo, would discuss jump-starting long-stalled negotiations on suspending hostilities in Gaza and recovering the hostages, presently believed to number 111 out of the more than 250 seized during the Hamas atrocities of October 7. While Israel agreed to attend the talks, the Hamas statement said it was calling “on the mediators to present a plan to implement what was agreed upon by the movement on July 2, 2024, based on Biden’s vision and the UN Security Council resolution.” The statement added that 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.”

Israeli officials played down the Hamas statement, saying the meeting would go ahead and that mediator nations Qatar and Egypt would brief the terrorist group. Newly appointed Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, who masterminded the October 7 onslaught, has sent mixed signals over his readiness to enter into negotiations. An unnamed senior Israeli official meanwhile told Axios that if “Hamas won’t come to the table, we will continue decimating their forces in Gaza.”

Expert Analysis

“Nothing has so far been ‘agreed’ upon and, indeed, Hamas has tried to insert more than two dozen amendments of its own to previous drafts of the Gaza truce deal. Now it is trying to cast a pall over this latest push without explicitly boycotting it. But the truth is that Hamas is on the ropes and is watching as Qatar and Egypt, two Arab countries with whom it once felt at home, close ranks with an impatient United States.” — Mark Dubowitz, FDD CEO

“Hamas’s refusal to engage in ceasefire negotiations suggests that it may be under intense military pressure, but Israeli military operations have yet to completely dismantle the organization in Gaza. Moreover, supporting Sinwar’s current ceasefire negotiation strategy is the belief that an attack from Iran or Hezbollah would further strain Israel, compelling the Jewish state to negotiate a deal that offers more favorable terms for Hamas.” — Joe Truzman, Senior Research Analyst at FDD’s Long War Journal

Agreement Still ‘Possible,’ Biden Says

In an interview with CBS on August 11, President Joe Biden reiterated his conviction that attaining a ceasefire was a realizable goal. “It’s still possible,” Biden said. “The plan I put together, endorsed by the G7, endorsed by the U.N. Security Council, et cetera, is still viable. And I’m working literally every single day – and my whole team – to see to it that it doesn’t escalate into a regional war. But it easily can.” Previous truce talks have stumbled over Hamas’s demand for an Israeli troop withdrawal that would include the border between Gaza and Egypt as well as its balking at Israel’s demand for a mechanism to ensure armed terrorists do not return to the northern part of the strip. Israel also wants at least 30 live hostages to be freed as part of the first stage of the truce deal, whereas Hamas has previously said it could deliver around half that number.

Related Analysis

“Israel to Attend Hostage Talks as U.S., Arab Leaders Urge ‘Immediate Relief,” FDD Flash Brief

“Truck-Height Hamas Tunnel Discovered on Gaza-Egypt Border,” FDD Flash Brief

“Hamas Backers Gather in Qatar for Ismail Haniyeh’s Funeral,” FDD Flash Brief

“Hamas Rejects Proposed Israeli Changes to Ceasefire Deal,” FDD Flash Brief