Newsletters
U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday accused Hamas of walking away from ceasefire negotiations, saying the group “didn’t really want to make a deal” as talks in Qatar collapsed.
He also dismissed French President Emmanuel Macron’s statement on recognizing Palestine, downplaying its significance.
Speaking before leaving for a trip to Scotland, Trump said Hamas backed out of the Doha-based negotiations because “when you get down to those last 20 hostages… they lose their shield.”
“It got to a point where you’re going to have to finish the job,” he added.
U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff also said Hamas’s response “clearly shows a lack of desire to reach a ceasefire” and announced that Washington had pulled its delegation for consultations. A senior Hamas official disputed Witkoff’s remarks, accusing the U.S. of shifting its stance and echoing Israeli interests.
In response, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said his government, in coordination with the U.S, is now exploring “alternative options” to bring home the remaining hostages and end Hamas’s control over Gaza.
Despite the withdrawal of U.S. and Israeli delegations from the Doha-based negotiations, mediators Qatar and Egypt stressed on Friday that efforts to reach a ceasefire agreement in Gaza are ongoing.
In a joint statement released by the Qatari foreign ministry, the two countries affirmed that they are “continuing intensive efforts in the Gaza Strip mediation file” and highlighted that “some progress” had been achieved in the most recent round of discussions.
The sides also emphasized that the temporary suspension of talks to allow for internal consultations is a normal part of complex negotiations of this nature and does not indicate a complete breakdown of the dialogue. The mediators urged all parties to remain engaged in the process, reiterating their commitment to securing an agreement that would end the conflict and address the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
Trump also dismissed French President Emmanuel Macron’s statement on recognizing Palestine, saying, “He’s a very good guy, I like him, but that statement doesn’t carry weight.”
Macron announced that France would formally recognize a Palestinian state during a UN meeting in September, making it the most powerful European country to do so. The move drew sharp criticism from Israel, which said it “rewards terror,” and from some US officials, including Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee, who mocked Macron’s proposal.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot defended the decision on Friday, saying it stood against Hamas’s rejection of a two-state solution and aligned France “with the side of peace against the side of war.”
The ceasefire breakdown comes amid a worsening humanitarian situation in Gaza. More than 100 aid groups warned of growing starvation, with one in five children in Gaza City now malnourished, according to the UN. Doctors Without Borders reported that one in four women and children seen at its clinics showed signs of undernourishment.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said the situation poses a “moral crisis that challenges the global conscience,” and stressed that nothing can justify the current scale of death and destruction.
Israel denies responsibility for the crisis, though it imposed an aid blockade on Gaza in March, later partially easing restrictions. Aid groups say the Israeli- and US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation has failed to safely deliver aid, with over 750 Palestinians killed near its distribution sites since May.
Despite criticism, Israel said airdrops will resume in the coming days, coordinated by the UAE and Jordan. Aid agencies, however, warn that air deliveries are dangerous and inadequate.
The war, now in its tenth month, has claimed 59,676 Palestinian lives, mostly civilians, according to Gaza’s health ministry. The October 2023 Hamas attack killed 1,219 people in Israel, also mostly civilians. Of the 251 hostages taken, 49 remain in Gaza—27 of them presumed dead.
1 min read
1 min read
