A Hamas representative in Lebanon confirmed to CBS News that a delegation from the militant group would not participate in Thursday’s attempted attack. to restart ceasefire negotiations with Israel, saying Hamas has not received assurances that Israel would commit to negotiations based on an earlier proposal dated July 2.
“We are not against the concept of negotiations and we have been flexible in previous rounds,” Ahmad Abdul Hadi, Hamas’ representative in Lebanon, said in a statement to CBS News on Tuesday. “But Netanyahu and his government rejected (the July 2 proposal), set new conditions, they assassinated the leader of our movement,” referring to Hamas’s proposal. Assassination of Ismail Haniyehthe head of Hamas’ political wing, in the Iranian capital of Tehran late last month. Haniyeh was Hamas’ chief negotiator in the ceasefire talks.
“Therefore, we will not participate” in the August 15 negotiations, Abdul Hadi added, “and we will return to square one.”
Hamas said it was ready to meet with mediators after Thursday’s talks in Qatar if Israel gives what it called a “serious response,” according to a diplomat briefed on the discussions.
“We are determined to reach an agreement because it is our responsibility towards our people to end the massacres and the war of famine that the occupation is committing against our people,” Abdul Hadi said.
On Sunday, Israel indicated that it would participate in the upcoming negotiations, and on Monday, Hamas issued its first statement suggesting that it would not participate in the talks, citing numerous previous rounds of negotiations and pointing to the July 2 proposal as a basis for moving forward. In Tuesday’s statement confirming that it would not participate, Hamas also accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of not acting in good faith and of wanting to both extend his term in office and maintain the status quo. war in Gaza and expand it to the Middle East.
Iran and its proxies accuse Israel of responsibility for Haniyeh’s killing, as well as a airstrike last month The attack on Beirut killed Hezbollah military commander Fuad Shukr, a top Hezbollah leader and adviser to Hezbollah Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah. Israel claimed responsibility for Shukr’s death, but not Haniyeh’s.
Leaders and senior officials of Western countries – including the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, France and the Vatican – are trying to dissuade Iran from retaliating against Israel.
Iran’s new President Mahmoud Pezeshkian responded that retaliation was “a right” to stop any further Israeli aggression.
If Iran and Hezbollah were to carry out attacks, former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert speculated to CBS News that the Israeli military would launch counterattacks that could then draw the entire region into an all-out war, drawing in countries across the Middle East and the West.
John Kirby, White House national security spokesman told reporters on Monday The Biden administration is preparing for a potential attack on Israel by Iran and its proxies as early as this week, while U.S. officials told CBS News that a limited attack by Hezbollah and Iran could come with little or no warning.
Innocence Frames
