Hamas to skip Doha talks, but open to meet mediators afterward

Hamas says it will not take part in a new round of Gaza ceasefire talks slated for tomorrow in Qatar, but mediators expect to consult with the Palestinian terror group afterward.

“Going to new negotiations allows the occupation to impose new conditions and employ the maze of negotiation to conduct more massacres,” Senior Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri tells Reuters.

“Hamas is committed to the proposal presented to it on July 2, which is based on the UN Security Council resolution and the Biden speech and the movement is prepared to immediately begin discussion over a mechanism to implement it,” said Abu Zuhri.

Hamas’s absence from the talks, however, does not eliminate the chances of progress since its chief negotiator Khalil al-Hayya is based in Doha and the group has open channels with Egypt and Qatar.

A source familiar with the matter says Hamas wants the mediators to come back to them with a “serious response” from Israel. If that happens, the group says, it will meet with mediators after the Thursday session. An official briefed on the talks process says mediators expect to consult with Hamas.