Hamas not biting US bait in dead-end ‘peace talks’ as genocide grinds on

Muhammad Amin

Hamas is not taking the bait as US-led Gaza “peace talks” continue not happening, but Washington is keeping up appearances of “progress” as it tries to coax Hamas into more rounds of fruitless negotiation.

Reuters solemnly reports Thursday CIA Director William Burns, who is also the chief US negotiator, has issued assurances that “a more detailed proposal” will be issued in the coming days.

It’s all very comforting. But Hamas has is being very clear: it wants the June 2 agreement, which originated from Israel, implemented. It is not interested in any “new” issues being added on because that only wastes more time, which it says is Israel’s main goal.

Israel’s genocide has thus far killed at least 41 084 Palestinians and wounded 95 029 others, the Gaza health ministry says.

Sunjeev Bery, writing for The Intercept, says it is already “abundantly clear that the US-led Gaza ceasefire talks have become a tool for the perpetuation of Israel’s genocidal war”.

“The so-called ceasefire negotiations are a form of camouflage that is being deployed by Biden and Harris to distract from the reality of their support for Israel’s mass atrocities in Gaza,” he says.

Hamas repeated Wednesday night it is ready to implement an “immediate” ceasefire based on the June 2 agreement, without new conditions from any party.

Its negotiation team, led by Khalil al-Hayya, met mediators Wednesday including Qatar’s Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani and Egypt’s intelligence chief Abbas Kamel in Doha to discuss what Reuters describes as “the latest developments”.

Al Mayadeen says they met to discuss the “negotiations’ stagnation”.

But the West’s mainstream media need to bolster their leaders’ desire to keep up appearances that they’re in control and about to deliver a breakthrough while the killing continues.

Reuters reports: “Talks have so far failed to reach a deal to end the 11-month-old war. Lingering issue include control of the Philadelphi corridor, a narrow stretch of land on Gaza’s border with Egypt, persisting.”

Hamas is adamant there are no “lingering issues” and that it’s not interested in Burns’s “more detailed proposal”. Burns’s assurance was made on Saturday, which means Wednesday’s discussions presumably included them.

A Hamas source said the mediators “requested minor amendments, especially regarding the Israeli withdrawal from the Philadelphi Corridor and the criteria for releasing captives”.

Izzat al-Rishq, a member of Hamas’ political bureau, remains adamant that, unless pressure is imposed on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to adhere to the agreed terms regarding the prisoner exchange deal, the Israeli captives will not see the light of day.