Israel Pulls Negotiators From Qatar, Blames UN Resolution for Lack of Deal With Hamas

Hamas wants a permanent ceasefire and Israeli withdrawal from Gaza

Israel is withdrawing its negotiators from Qatar and is blaming the lack of a hostage deal with Hamas on a UN Security Council resolution that called for a Ramadan ceasefire in Gaza.

Hamas officials said on Monday that the Palestinian group was still seeking a hostage deal that included a permanent ceasefire and an Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, a position Israel has repeatedly rejected.

“Hamas’s stance clearly demonstrates its utter disinterest in a negotiated deal and attests to the damage done by the UN Security Council’s resolution,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said in a statement.

“Hamas has once again rejected an American compromise proposal and has repeated its extreme demands: An immediate halt to the war, the complete withdrawal of the IDF from the Gaza Strip and leaving in place its administration so that it can repeat, time and again, the massacre of October 7, as it has promised to do,” the statement added.

The US rejected the claim that the Security Council resolution was to blame. State Department spokesman Matt Miller said Netanyahu’s position was “inaccurate in almost every respect, and it is unfair to the hostages and their families.” He said Hamas prepared the statement before the Security Council resolution was passed.

Netanyahu and other Israeli officials are fuming at the US for not preventing the Security Council resolution from passing. The US abstained from voting but had previously vetoed three resolutions calling for a ceasefire in Gaza.

The US has downplayed the resolution, saying it’s “non-binding” and won’t impact Israeli military operations. The UN and other member states have disputed the US claim, saying the resolution is binding and must be followed.

In response to the US not vetoing the resolution, Netanyahu canceled a delegation to the US that was meant to discuss Israeli plans to attack Rafah. Despite the spat, there’s no indication the US will alter its policy of unconditional military support for the slaughter and starvation of Palestinians in Gaza.

Author: Dave DeCamp

Dave DeCamp is the news editor of Antiwar.com, follow him on Twitter @decampdave.