Ceasefire talks conclude in Doha with "bridging" proposal; Hamas rejects "new conditions"

DOHA, Aug. 16 (Xinhua) -- Mediators of the Gaza War ceasefire talks announced on Friday that the two-day discussions in the Qatari capital of Doha have concluded, with plans to reconvene in Cairo next week to finalize a deal aimed at ending the conflict.

In a joint statement, the United States, Egypt, and Qatar described the talks as constructive and conducted in a positive environment. The statement said that a "bridging proposal" had been presented by the three mediators to Hamas and Israel, which is consistent with the principles of UN Security Council Resolution No. 2735, calling for an "immediate, comprehensive, and thorough" ceasefire in Gaza to end the conflict.

The talks, which began on Thursday, focused on ending the 10-month conflict and securing the release of hostages. A successful agreement is seen as crucial to preventing further regional conflict.

Hamas, which did not participate directly, accused Israel of adding new conditions to a previously supported proposal. The militant group claimed Israel demanded the retention of troops along Gaza's border with Egypt and imposed restrictions on prisoner exchanges. Hamas seeks a full ceasefire, withdrawal of Israeli troops, the return of displaced persons, and an unrestricted prisoner swap.

Hamas senior official Sami Abu Zuhri accused the Biden administration of trying to create a "false positive atmosphere," expressing skepticism about the negotiations' outcome. Hamas argued that the current proposals diverge from earlier plans endorsed by Biden.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office expressed gratitude for the mediators' efforts and hoped they would lead Hamas to accept the terms of a proposal made in late May. Netanyahu has been accused of adding new demands, but he maintained these were merely clarifications.

Following the conclusion of the talks in Doha, Biden stated that a ceasefire agreement is "closer than we have ever been."

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who canceled his trip to Israel earlier this week due to the threat of an attack from Iran, will visit Israel this weekend to push the ceasefire deal, the U.S. State Department announced after Biden's optimistic statement.

Egypt, which will host the next round of negotiations, also stressed the urgency of a ceasefire to prevent a broader regional conflict.

"This is the key to the start of the solution in this region and the start of de-escalation," Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty said during his visit to Beirut, amid rising tension along the Lebanon-Israel border.

UN agencies have called for two seven-day breaks in fighting to allow for polio vaccinations for over 640,000 children in Gaza. Hamas supports this request and also demands the delivery of essential supplies to the region. The World Health Organization plans to launch vaccination campaigns in late August and September, but the efforts require temporary halts in fighting.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus emphasized the need for humanitarian pauses to ensure vaccine delivery, adding that "the best vaccine for all children in Gaza is peace."  ■