Hamas Palestinian Resistance movement said the signs of progress the US have been propagating following two days of Gaza ceasefire talks in Doha are “illusion”, as US Secretary of State Antony Blinken headed to the Zionist entity on Sunday.
Mediators have said two days of negotiations in Doha were “making progress”, and US President Joe Biden told reporters at the White House on Friday, “We are closer than we have ever been.”
Another summit is reportedly tentatively scheduled, this time for Cairo, on Wednesday or Thursday. US officials have said they aim to “finalize the long-sought deal” by the end of this coming week.
Also Friday, a senior Biden administration official told reporters, “What we’ve done is taken the gaps that remain and have bridged those in a way that we think basically is a deal that is now ready to close and implement and move forward.”
“US Diktats”
However, Hamas Politburo Member Sami Abu Zuhri undercut the so-called “optimism”, stressing that Washington is trying to impose “diktats.”
“To say that we are getting close to a deal is an illusion,” Abu Zuhri told AFP on Saturday.
“We are not facing a deal or real negotiations, but rather the imposing of American diktats,” the Hamas official added.
Blinken Visit
Making his ninth trip to the Middle East since the Gaza war broke out on October 7, Blinken was set to meet Israeli leaders including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
“Top US diplomat Blinken is in Israel as efforts to resume Gaza truce continue. US, Qatar, Egypt mediating for ceasefire and captive swap. Death toll in Gaza surpasses 40,000. #Blinken #Gaza #Israel #US #Diplomacy #TruceEfforts” pic.twitter.com/729Zli4V20
— TOP X News (@TOPXNews) August 18, 2024
Israeli negotiators were also set to hold further talks in Cairo later Sunday, and working groups remain in Doha.
Source: Agencies
