DUBAI: Qatar and Egypt, which have acted as mediators in faltering ceasefire negotiations between Israel and Hamas, suggested on Wednesday that the killing of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh could further jeopardise efforts to secure a truce in Gaza.

“Political assassinations and continued targeting of civilians in Gaza while talks continue leads us to ask, how can mediation succeed when one party assassinates the negotiator on the other side?” Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani wrote on X.

“Peace needs serious partners & a global stance against the disregard for human life.” Sheikh Mohammed, who is also foreign minister, later spoke with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken over the phone and discussed continuing work towards a ceasefire.

Egypt’s foreign ministry said in a statement that a “dangerous Israeli escalation policy” over the past two days had undermined efforts to broker an end to the fighting in Gaza.

“The coincidence of this regional escalation with the lack of progress in the ceasefire negotiations in Gaza increases the complexity of the situation and indicates the absence of Israeli political will to calm it down,” the statement said.

“It undercuts the strenuous efforts made by Egypt and its partners to stop the war in the Gaza Strip and put an end to the human suffering of the Palestinian people,” it added. Qatar, Egypt and the United States have repeatedly tried to clinch a ceasefire between Israel and Palestinian group Hamas in Gaza, where Israeli forces have killed more than 39,000 Palestinians since Hamas-led militants attacked Israel in October, killing 1,200 people and taking more than 250 hostages.

A final deal to halt nearly 10 months of conflict and release Israeli and Palestinian prisoners has been complicated by changes sought by Israel, sources said, and there was no sign of progress at the latest round of talks in Rome on Sunday.

‘Square Zero’

In Rome, Israel requested a “clarification” to its own, US-endorsed ceasefire proposal from May, a source familiar with the issue said.

After previously securing broad agreement on the proposal, “we have to go back to square zero”, said the source. Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant’s office said on Wednesday that he had stressed the importance of continuing to work towards reaching a deal to release the remaining 115 Israeli and foreign prisoners in a phone call with his US counterpart Lloyd Austin.

“During the discussion, the minister also highlighted that, especially during these times, the State of Israel is working to achieve a framework for the release of hostages,” Gallant’s office said in a statement.

Israeli government spokesman David Mencer told reporters in an online briefing that Israel remained committed to the negotiations. “These talks are ongoing and Israel is committed to the success of these talks,” he said.

Published in Dawn, August 1st, 2024