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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and U.S. President Donald Trump seemed to abandon Gaza ceasefire negotiations with Hamas on Friday, stating that the Palestinian militants did not want a deal.
Netanyahu said Israel would now consider “alternative” options to achieve its goals of bringing home Israeli hostages from Gaza and ending Hamas rule in the enclave. The population there faces widespread ruin and starvation. Trump indicated that he believed Hamas leaders wanted to be “hunted down,” adding, “Hamas really didn’t want to make a deal. I think they want to die. And it’s very bad.”
The remarks suggested little short-term hope for resuming negotiations to halt the fighting in Gaza. International concern is growing over worsening hunger conditions there. French President Emmanuel Macron announced that France would be the first major Western power to recognize an independent Palestinian state, prompting Britain and Germany to call for an immediate ceasefire.
Trump dismissed Macron’s move, saying, “What he says doesn’t matter.” However, both the U.S. and Israel withdrew their delegations from the ceasefire talks in Qatar on Thursday after Hamas submitted its response to a truce proposal. Sources initially thought this was only for consultations but Netanyahu suggested his position had hardened overnight.
U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff blamed Hamas for the impasse, aligning with Netanyahu’s stance. Senior Hamas official Basem Naim criticized Witkoff’s remarks as aimed at pressuring Israel. Mediators from Qatar and Egypt said there had been some progress in talks but that suspensions were normal. They stated their commitment to continuing efforts to reach a ceasefire.
The proposed truce would suspend fighting for 60 days, allow more aid into Gaza, and release some of the 50 remaining hostages held by militants in exchange for Palestinian prisoners jailed in Israel. Disagreements over Israeli troop withdrawal and post-60-day arrangements have stalled progress.
International aid organizations warned that mass hunger had arrived among Gaza’s 2.2 million people due to supply cuts. The Israeli military agreed on Friday to allow countries to airdrop aid into Gaza, but Hamas dismissed this as a publicity stunt.
Gaza medical authorities reported nine more deaths from malnutrition or starvation over the past 24 hours, with dozens dying in recent weeks. Israel accused the United Nations of failing to distribute food, while UN agencies said they were operating under Israeli restrictions.
Ceasefire talks have coincided with ongoing Israeli offensives in Gaza. Palestinian health officials reported at least 21 deaths across the enclave on Friday, including five killed in a school sheltering displaced families in Gaza City. Journalist Adam Abu Harbid was killed overnight in a strike on tents housing displaced people during his funeral.
Israel launched its assault after Hamas fighters stormed Israeli towns near the border on October 7, 2023, killing around 1,200 and capturing 251 hostages. Since then, Israeli forces have reportedly killed nearly 60,000 in Gaza and reduced much of the enclave to ruins.
The story was auto-generated from a syndicated feed.
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What was the main reason given by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and U.S. President Donald Trump for abandoning Gaza ceasefire negotiations with Hamas?
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