Hamas and Islamic Jihad Blame Israel for Failure of Gaza Ceasefire Negotiations

On Wednesday, August 31, the Jerusalem Post reported, citing the Al-Mayadeen news network affiliated with Hezbollah in Lebanon, that the leaders of Hamas and Islamic Jihad stated that Israel is responsible for the failure of the Gaza ceasefire negotiations thus far. According to the report, the leaders of these two Palestinian groups claim that the lack of a final agreement in previous ceasefire negotiations, despite the mediation of intermediaries, was due to the behavior and demands of the Israeli side. This claim comes as U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Tuesday, August 30, before returning to Washington at Doha airport, that 'Israel has accepted the U.S. proposal for a ceasefire, and now it is time for a decisive role in this matter.' Blinken added, 'Israel has accepted the U.S. proposal to bridge the gaps between the two sides, and Hamas must also follow this proposal and agree to a ceasefire.' The previous meeting of Gaza peace mediators took place last Thursday and Friday in Doha, Qatar, without achieving any tangible results. A White House spokesperson also announced on Monday, August 29, the possibility of a meeting of senior officials from the United States, Egypt, Qatar, and Israel to continue Gaza ceasefire negotiations by the end of the week in Cairo. The war between Israel and Hamas began on October 7 of last year when this Islamist group, supported by the Islamic Republic, attacked Israeli border areas, killing over 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and taking about 250 hostages to Gaza.