The US President Joe Biden has stated that the murder of Hamas head Ismail Haniyeh ‘does not assist’ in the negotiations of a halt in hostilities in the Gaza Strip.
Haniyeh was assassinated while in the Iranian capital of Tehran on Wednesday. Iran and its allies allegedly involving PLA claimed it was the act of Israel, while Israel has not made any response on this incident.
Haniyeh was the head of the Hamas political bureau and among the most active in the ceasefire and hostage release negotiations from his office in Qatar.
Speaking about Middle East tensions, Mr. Biden said that he is’very concerned” about the tensions. It should be noted that there is already a foundation for the ceasefire I have laid down here, which he [Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu] should do something about, and they [Hamas] should do something about it now.
Israel and Hamas reportedly began limited, exploratory negotiations in recent days to see about obtaining a truce ending the war in Gaza, though reports on the negotiators’ progress vary.
Late in May, Mr. Biden articulated what he described as the terms of the Israeli ceasefire offer. This has remained the modality of on-and-off indirect talks between Hamas and Israel since then, with mediators being Qatar, Egypt, and the US.
Tuesday, both Israel and Hamas claimed that the other side was hindering any advancement towards the sealing of the ceasefire.
The new initiative was announced as a reversed bid by Israel to extend the ceasefire, which Hamas stated. Israel has imposed new terms and conditions for the truce. Mr. Netanyahu’s office accused Hamas of wanting ten extra alterations to the proposal, bringing the total to 29.
