Qatar and Egypt, which have acted as mediators in ceasefire negotiations between Israel and Hamas, suggested on Wednesday that the killing of Hamas leader, Ismail Haniyeh, could jeopardise efforts to secure a truce in Gaza, Reuters reports.
“Political assassinations and continued targeting of civilians in Gaza while talks continue leads us to ask, how can mediation succeed when one party assassinates the negotiator on the other side?” Qatari Prime Minister, Sheikh Mohammed Bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, wrote on X.
“Peace needs serious partners & a global stance against the disregard for human life.”
Sheikh Mohammed, who is also Foreign Minister, later spoke with US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, over the phone and discussed continuing work towards a ceasefire
Egypt’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement that a “dangerous Israeli escalation policy” over the past two days had undermined efforts to broker an end to the fighting in Gaza.
READ: Arab world ramps up condemnations of Hamas leader’s assassination
“The coincidence of this regional escalation with the lack of progress in the ceasefire negotiations in Gaza increases the complexity of the situation and indicates the absence of Israeli political will to calm it down,” the statement said.
“It undercuts the strenuous efforts made by Egypt and its partners to stop the war in the Gaza Strip and put an end to the human suffering of the Palestinian people,” it added.
Qatar, Egypt and the United States have repeatedly tried to clinch a ceasefire between Israel and Palestinian group, Hamas, in Gaza, where Israeli forces have killed more than 39,000 Palestinians since Hamas-led fighters attacked Israel in October, killing 1,200 people and taking more than 250 hostages.
However, since then, it has been revealed by Haaretz that helicopters and tanks of the Israeli army had, in fact, killed many of the 1,139 soldiers and civilians claimed by Israel to have been killed by the Palestinian Resistance.
No sign of progress
A final deal to halt more than nine months of war has been complicated by changes sought by Israel, sources have told Reuters, and there was no sign of progress at the latest round of talks in Rome on Sunday.
Israeli Defence Minister, Yoav Gallant, stressed the importance of continuing to work towards reaching a deal to release the remaining 115 Israeli and foreign hostages in a phone call with his US counterpart, Lloyd Austin, on Wednesday.
“During the discussion, the Minister also highlighted that, especially during these times, the State of Israel is working to achieve a framework for the release of hostages,” a statement by Gallant’s office said.
Israeli government spokesman, David Mencer, told reporters in an online briefing that Israel remained committed to the negotiations.
“These talks are ongoing and Israel is committed to the success of these talks,” he said.
Haniyeh, who mainly resided in Qatar, was assassinated in the early hours of the morning in Iran, raising fears of wider escalation in a Middle East shaken by Israel’s war in Gaza and a worsening conflict in Lebanon.
Qatar condemned Haniyeh’s assassination in the Iranian capital, Tehran, saying it was a dangerous escalation.
Haniyeh had not been directly involved in the day-to-day Gaza ceasefire negotiations and was not leading the talks. The senior Hamas figure who has been central throughout ceasefire and hostage release negotiations is Khalil Al-Hayya, an official briefed on the talks told Reuters previously.
READ: Hamas chief’s killing in Iran fuels fears of retaliation and wider war