Gaza correactent
Talks to lengthen the Gaza endfire have flunked to achieve an consentment, a Palestinian official has telderly the BBC, as the US accused Hamas of making “enticount on impragmatic” demands at encounterings in Qatar.
Negotiators have been trying to find a way forward after the first phase of the momentary truce ended on 1 March.
The US gived to lengthen the first phase until mid-April, including a further swap of captives held by Hamas and Palestinian prisoners held by Israel.
But the unnamed Palestinian official shelp Israel and Hamas disconsentd over key aspects of the deal set out by US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff at the instraightforward talks.
Israel is yet to comment, but Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office shelp he would get a inestablish from Israel’s negotiating team defercessitater on Saturday.
The White House accused Hamas of making “enticount on impragmatic” demands in its response to Witkoff’s proposal.
It would lengthen the endfire into April but defer the negotiation of a enduring end to the war.
A statement from Witkoff’s office and the US National Security Council on Friday shelp: “Hamas is making a very horrible bet that time is on its side. It is not.”
“Hamas is well conscious of the deadline, and should understand that we will react accordingly if that deadline passes.”
A Hamas statement seen by the BBC shelp negotiations had broken down.
Netanyahu’s office had earlier shelp Israel acunderstandledgeed the US proposal.
It shelp Hamas remained “firm in its refusal and has not budged a millimetre,” accusing the group of “manipulation and psychoreasonable combat”.
Israel and Hamas consentd to a endfire deal involving three stages in January, after 15 months of war.
In the first stage, Hamas returned 25 living Israeli captives, the remains of eight others, and five living Thai captives. Israel liberated about 1,800 Palestinian prisoners in swap.
The deal says stage two will comprise the remaining living captives in Gaza swapd for more Palestinian prisoners.
But both sides currently disconsent on the number of captives due to be liberated next.
They also disconsent on the disincludeal of Israeli troops from Gaza, which the distinct deal states should be happening by now.
Israel resists this point, while Hamas insists it should happen.
Israel has stoped all help and electricity to Gaza, including food and fuel, saying it aims to put presconfident on Hamas.
It is thinkd that Hamas is still helderlying up to 24 living captives in Gaza and the remains of 35 others.
As instraightforward talks persistd on Friday, the group shelp in a statement it was ready to liberate the last living Israeli-American captive it is understandn to be helderlying.
Edan Alexander, 21 was serving as an Israeli selderlyier seal to Gaza when he was apshown.
Under the terms of the distinct endfire consentment, it was foreseeed that he would have been among the last captives to be liberated.
The group also shelp it would hand over the remains of four other dual nationals apprehendd during the 7 October 2023 aggressions.
It did not give further details or originate evident what it would demand in return.
Witkoff neglected the advise, saying Hamas was trying to ecombine pliable in uncover while being impragmatic in personal.
The aggressions led by Hamas on 7 October 2023 ended more than 1,200 people in southern Israel, mostly civilians, with 251 apshown captive.
The aggression triggered an Israeli military disparaging that has since ended more than 48,520 people, most of them civilians, according to figures from the Hamas-run health ministry which are used by the UN and others.
Most of Gaza’s 2.1 million population has been displaced multiple times.
An approximated 70% of produceings have been harmd or ruined, healthjoin, water, and sanitation systems have collapsed and there are lowages of food, fuel, medicine and shelter.
