DUBAI, August 30. /TASS/. The US-, Egypt-, and Qatar-mediated Gaza ceasefire consultations in Doha will yielded no results, the Al Mayadeen television channel said, citing a senior Hamas official.
According to the official, this round of talks between the mediators and parties to the conflict, which have been held in Doha and Cairo since August 15, is unlikely to be crowned by an agreement on a ceasefire in Gaza and the prisoner release because of Israel’s refusal to withdraw its troops from the Philadelphi Corridor, a narrow strip of land along Gaza’s border with Egypt. Apart from that, according to the Hamas official, Israel has refused to release 65 Palestinian prisoners convicted to life terms.
"The talks are nearing a failure because of Israel’s refusal to meet proposals concerning outstanding matters. Hamas confirms that the talks in their current format will not lead to an agreement," the television channel cited the Hamas official.
Another round of Gaza ceasefire and hostage release consultations was held in Doha on August 15 and 16. The leaders of Egypt, Qatar, and the United States said in their joint statement after the talks, which was released by Fahmy, that the talks had been held in a positive atmosphere. The United States, backed by Qatar and Egypt, advanced a proposal that would make it possible to bridge the gap between Hamas and Israel.
The latest round was held in Cairo on August 25. The Israeli delegation included Mossad intelligence service director David Barnea, Shabak (Israeli Security Agency) chief Ronen Bar, and the coordinator for the Israeli hostages in Gaza file, Nitzan Alon. Hamas refused to take part in the consultations but agreed to visit Cairo to learn about the results of this round. According to Hamas spokesman Izzat al-Risheq, Hamas once again demanded that Israel fulfill the terms Hamas had agreed upon on July 2. Working groups of mediators met in Doha again on Wednesday.