Hamas Likely to Skip Gaza Ceasefire Talks as Regional Tensions Escalate

Hamas is likely to boycott Thursday’s meeting on a new Gaza ceasefire, leaving more doubt as to the chances of finding an agreement that would help avoid the expected Iranian reprisals on Israel. These strikes are in retaliation for the latter assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran. 

 The prospects of achieving a broad agreement at these ceasefire talks were never high to begin with, primarily because the new government in Israel has taken a much more hardline stance than its predecessor, and Hamas is now led by its most uncompromised faction at the moment. This development has paved the way for more fear that war may escalate in the region. 

 Iran has rejected the call made by the Western countries not to retaliate over the assassination of Haniyeh on 31 July, as revenge after the Israeli airstrike in Beirut killed a senior Hezbollah commander. This has again escalated fears of a surprise Iran attack on Israel, which could worsen the ongoing 10-month conflict in Gaza. 

 The conflicts have been identified to show that if significant progress towards a ceasefire in Gaza is to be reached, then tension in the region would almost automatically be reduced, as both US and Iranian officials have noted. Pressed on Tuesday as to whether Iran might hold its fire if there was a Gaza ceasefire, President Joe Biden replied, “That’s my expectation. ” 

 The White House has said that new Iranian operations and activities by the IRGC and its proxies could start this week. As a result, the U. S has sent warplanes, fighters, destroyers that shoot down missiles and a nuclear-powered missile submarine within the region to support Israel. 

 The gas attack on Gaza was condemned by Hamas as ‘genocidal’, while on Sunday, a statement made by the group demanded that mediators from the US, Egypt and Qatar should present a plan out of Biden’s prior proposition rather than the continuing negotiations they believe are an act of staging by Israel. 

Hamas insists that it has demonstrated willingness on the negotiations issue but complains that Israel is not sincere in the pursuit of a truce deal. A Hamas official said it is continuing its discussions with mediators during the ceasefire but is unwilling to enter into a debate regarding the Biden plan, insisting on its immediate execution. 

 It could be recalled that the negotiations have always been tainted by disagreement on the length of the ceasefire agreement if one is to be established between Israel and Hamas and the conditionalities of exchanging prisoners. This reveals that previous rounds of negotiations could not help to fill these gaps. 

 On Wednesday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office assured that Israel should indeed engage in the negotiation process with critical officials such as Mossad Chief David Barnea and Shin Bet Head Ronen Bar to represent Israel. 

 Israel’s President Isaac Herzog, at the same time, declared on social media that the country stays ‘on alert’ due to the possibility of an attack by Iran and Hezbollah. The Tel Aviv Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art has gone as far as to protect artefacts with guards for works by Picasso and Klimt, among others. 

 U. S. envoy Amos Hochstein, at the moment in Beirut, stressed the need to bring an end to Gaza fighting, saying that there was “no more time to waste. ” 

 And as the situation deteriorates, several countries have already put out travel warnings against Lebanon and are mumbling contingency measures in case of actual hostilities. 

 The conflict in Gaza started with an aggression of Hamas on the areas of southern Israel on October 7, and over 1,200 people were killed, including 709 non-combatants. In return, Israel attacked the Gaza Strip, and the latter’s health ministry revealed that the operation had claimed the lives of 39,965 people. 

 The Israeli armed forces have targeted several areas in the Gaza Strip during the past 24 hours and also persistently shelling the area near Rafah. It continues to be grim, and both civilians and the children are bearing the brunt of it.