U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff said Washington is “bringing home” its negotiators after two weeks of indirect cease‑fire talks in Qatar failed to yield a deal between Israel and Hamas. Israel recalled its team earlier in the day, accusing the Palestinian group of blocking an agreement.
“Hamas’s latest response shows no genuine desire for a cease‑fire,” Witkoff wrote on X, adding that the United States would “consider alternative options” to free Israeli hostages and stabilise Gaza.
Hamas dismissed the accusation as a “distortion,” insisting it had reacted “positively” to the mediators’ proposal. In a statement, the movement said it remained committed to talks that would secure a permanent end to the war, increased aid deliveries and an Israeli troop withdrawal timetable.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel still seeks a hostage‑for‑truce deal but “will not accept surrender terms that endanger the state.” His office said negotiators were returning for consultations.
A Palestinian source familiar with the talks said Hamas’s reply sought changes to aid‑entry clauses, troop‑withdrawal maps and guarantees for a lasting cease‑fire — demands Israel has so far rejected.
Nearly two years of fighting have turned Gaza’s humanitarian crisis into what aid agencies warn is “mass starvation.” The Gaza Health Ministry puts the death toll at more than 59,000, most of them civilians.
Mediators from Qatar and Egypt have not indicated when, or if, the negotiations will resume.