Hamas Refuses to Take Part in Ceasefire Negotiations with Israel

Hamas has confirmed to CBS News that they will not participate in Thursday’s attempt to revive ceasefire talks with Israel. The militant group’s representative in Lebanon stated that Hamas has not received guarantees from Israel that they will negotiate based on a previous proposal made on July 2.

“We are not against the concept of negotiations and we were flexible in the previous rounds,” Ahmad Abdul Hadi, Hamas’ representative in Lebanon, in a statement to the media outlet. “But Netanyahu and his government rejected (the July 2 proposal), put new conditions, they assassinated the head of our movement.”

Hadi referred to the deceased Ismail Haniyeh, the head of Hamas’ political wing, in Tehran late last month.Haniyeh had been Hamas’ lead negotiator in the cease-fire talks.

“Therefore we won’t participate” in the August 15 talks, Abdul Hadi added, “and we will go back to square one.”

Hamas said it is willing to meet with mediators after Thursday’s talks in Qatar, if Israel gives what they call a “serious response,” according to a diplomat briefed on the talks.

“We are serious on reaching an agreement as it is our responsibility towards our people to stop the massacres and the famine war the occupation (sic) is committing against our people,” Abdul Hadi said.

On Sunday, Israel indicated it would attend upcoming negotiations, and on Monday, Hamas issued its first statement hinting it would not attend talks, citing many previous rounds of negotiations and pointing to the July 2 proposal as the basis for moving ahead.

In the statement confirming it would not attend, Hamas also accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of not acting in good faith, and of wanting to both prolong its war in Gaza and expand it into the Middle East.

Iran and its proxies blame Israel for Haniyeh’s killing, as well as an airstrike last month on Beirut which killed Hezbollah senior military commander Fuad Shukr — a top leader of Hezbollah and advisor to Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah. Israel has taken credit for Shukr’s killing, but not that of Haniyeh.

Leaders and top officials of Western countries — including the U.S., United Kingdom, Germany, France and the Vatican — have been trying to talk Iran down from retaliating against Israel.

Iran’s new President Mahmoud Pezeshkian replied that retribution is  “a right” to stop more Israeli aggression.

Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said to CBS News that any attacks by Iran and Hezbollah could trigger a wider regional conflict. He believes Israel’s counterattacks would escalate the situation, potentially drawing in Middle Eastern and Western nations into an all-out war.

The Biden administration is bracing for a possible attack on Israel by Iran and its proxies, potentially as early as this week. White House national security spokesperson John Kirby confirmed this to reporters on Monday. Meanwhile, US officials have informed CBS News that a limited attack from both Hezbollah and Iran could occur with minimal or no warning.