Hamas to skip Gaza ceasefire talks and insist on return to Biden-backed plan amid Israel intransigence

Hamas will not participate in crunch Gaza ceasefire talks set to take place in Doha on Thursday, a senior figure in the movement told The New Arab's Arabic-language service on Wednesday.

In a statement to Al-Araby Al-Jadeed, Hamas politburo member Suhail Al-Hindi reiterated his group's insistence on a return to the ceasefire plan backed by US President Joe Biden in May.

Israel is reportedly pushing for new conditions and follows a series of provocations against Hamas such as the assassination of its political leader Ismail Haniyeh and the bombing of a Gaza school on Saturday killing around 100 people.

"The movement demands a clear commitment by the [Israeli] occupation to what was agreed upon on July 2, according to the clarifications conveyed by the mediators, and if that happens, the movement is ready to enter into the mechanisms for implementing the agreement," al-Hindi said.

Other sources close to the newly-elected political head, Yahya Sinwar, also confirmed to Al-Araby Al-Jadeed that the movement will boycott the talks but other sources said deliberations are still taking place.

In late May, President Biden announced a ceasefire plan that Washington touted as having the approval of Israel. However, the intervening months have seen reports describing a rift between Israel's security establishment and the coalition of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on the matter, as well as internal bickering between Netanyahu and his far-right coalition allies, along with more centrist figures.

Hamas has accused Netanyahu of stalling ceasefire talks, while Israeli hardliners like National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich have long threatened to leave Israel's ruling coalition if a ceasefire is agreed. 

Hamas has demanded a truce that would see the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza as a basic pre-condition for releasing captives, while Netanyahu insists Hamas must be destroyed, with a ceasefire only a temporary measure to see Israelis held by the group return home.

Hamas's new approach to talks comes with the appointment of former Gaza chief Sinwar as the group's political head, after former chief Ismail Haniyeh was assassinated on 31 July in Tehran.

Sinwar, who is closely linked to the Hamas-led 7 October attack on Israel, is viewed as a hardliner in contrast with the more moderate Haniyeh who played a key role in negotiations.

Iranian retaliation

Haniyeh's assassination, assumed to be by Israel, has added a further dimension to Thursday's talks, with Iranian sources telling Reuters that a ceasefire could hold back Iranian retaliation against Israel.

Haniyeh was killed while visiting Iran's capital for the inauguration of President Masoud Pezeshkian. Israeli reports have claimed that the assassination was the result of a covert operation in which a bomb was placed in Haniyeh's accommodation, while Iran has said that the killing was by a short-range projectile strike — a violation of Iranian airspace and sovereignty seen as warranting direct retaliation.

A Hamas source who spoke to The New Arab's Gaza correspondent on Wednesday said Iran had informed the Palestinian group of its intention to retaliate shortly after the negotiations if a return to the Biden-backed proposal is not agreed. The source said the strike could occur within 48 hours of the talks.

Thursday's talks come after more than ten months of Israel's war on Gaza, where close to 40,000 Palestinians have been killed and tens of thousands more wounded.

This report includes reporting from Al-Araby Al-Jadeed's Gaza Bureau Chief Diaa Al-Kahlout and The New Arab's Gaza correspondent Sally Ibrahim.