US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu plan to present the Gaza-based Palestinian group Hamas with an ultimatum, otherwise planning to expand Israel’s military operation in the Gaza Strip, The New York Times reported.
According to the newspaper, "under the terms of the ultimatum, Hamas would have to release the remaining hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners and agree to terms to end the war that include the group’s disarmament. Otherwise, the Israeli military would continue its campaign."
Mahmoud Mardawi, a Hamas official, told the NYT that "the Palestinian armed group had yet to receive a formal Israeli proposal for a comprehensive deal from Arab mediators. He said that while Hamas supported such an agreement in principle, it would not disarm – which has long been a core Israeli condition."
"This has been our demand from the beginning: an end to the war, the release of prisoners, and day-after arrangements in the Gaza Strip – a clear and comprehensive deal," Mardawi was quoted by the media outlet as saying.
On July 27, Hamas leader in the Gaza Strip Khalil al-Hayya said that further talks on a ceasefire in Gaza are pointless amid the continued blockade of the enclave. Earlier, Netanyahu ordered to recall a delegation from Doha where talks on settling the Gaza Strip conflict had been underway since July 6, due to Hamas’ response to the ceasefire proposal.
In turn, US Special Presidential Envoy Steve Witkoff wrote on the X social network that Washington had also decided to recall negotiators from Doha "after the latest response from Hamas, which clearly shows a lack of desire to reach a ceasefire in Gaza." However, the Palestinian group disagreed with Witkoff’s assessment, announcing that other mediators had allegedly "approved the response and called it constructive."
