US envoy Witkoff blames Hamas for failure to reach ceasefire deal
Steve Witkoff, the US special envoy for the Middle East, says the Trump administration has decided to bring its negotiating team home from Qatar after Hamas’s latest response to a ceasefire proposal.
As we’ve been reporting, Israel said earlier that it recalled its team of negotiators for “consultations” after Hamas submitted its response.
Witkoff said the Palestinian group’s position “clearly shows a lack of desire to reach a ceasefire in Gaza”, without elaborating.
“While the mediators have made a great effort, Hamas does not appear to be coordinated or acting in good faith. We will now consider alternative options to bring the hostages home and try to create a more stable environment for the people of Gaza,” Witkoff said.
“It is a shame that Hamas has acted in this selfish way. We are resolute in seeking an end to this conflict and a permanent peace in Gaza.”
Hamas has yet to comment publicly on its response, or the criticism from the US envoy. The Palestinian group has been pushing for a deal that would ensure Israel agrees to a permanent end to its war on Gaza.
We have decided to bring our team home from Doha for consultations after the latest response from Hamas, which clearly shows a lack of desire to reach a ceasefire in Gaza. While the mediators have made a great effort, Hamas does not appear to be coordinated or acting in good…
— Special Envoy Steve Witkoff (@SEPeaceMissions) July 24, 2025
More projection, it's the US and Israel that lack the desire to end the genocide. Witkoff has done nothing but move the conditions further and further to the Israeli side since taking over negotiations where now nothing but a full surrender, end of any resistance and ongoing occupation with ethnic cleansing will suffice. Witkoff is not a negotiator, he's just another war criminal.
"Officials have said a main sticking point is the redeployment of Israeli troops after any ceasefire takes place."
How is that part of a ceasefire... Would Ukraine agree to a ceasefire that involves redeployment of Russian troops in Ukraine???
Israeli military strikes southern Lebanon
The Israeli army has just announced that it targeted southern Lebanon with air strikes, claiming it struck multiple Hezbollah-linked sites.
In a post on X, the Israeli army said fighter jets “attacked military sites”, including “weapons storage facilities and a rocket launcher”.
The military also claimed responsibility for another strike earlier on Thursday. Earlier we reported that one person was killed in an Israeli drone strike on a car in the southern Lebanese town of Aita al-Shaab.
Israel has launched near-daily attacks on Lebanon despite agreeing to a US-backed ceasefire in November.
Yeah that's the kind of 'ceasefire' the US wants. Israel hasn't left Lebanon yet since the ceasefire.
