US cuts short Gaza ceasefire talks and accuses Hamas of lacking 'good
faith'
[July 25, 2025]
By MICHELLE L. PRICE and JOSEPH KRAUSS
WASHINGTON (AP) — The United States is cutting short Gaza ceasefire
talks and bringing its negotiating team home from Qatar to discuss next
steps after Hamas' latest response “shows a lack of desire" to reach a
truce, President Donald Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff said
Thursday.
“While the mediators have made a great effort, Hamas does not appear to
be coordinated or acting in good faith," Witkoff said in a statement.
“We will now consider alternative options to bring the hostages home and
try to create a more stable environment for the people of Gaza.”
State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott would not offer details on
what “alternative options” the U.S. is considering to free hostages held
by the militant group.
Hamas said in a statement that it was surprised by Witkoff’s “negative
remarks” and said it has shown responsibility and flexibility in the
negotiating track. It added that it was “keen to reach an agreement that
ends the aggression and the suffering of our people in Gaza.”
A breakthrough on a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas following 21
months of war has eluded the Trump administration as humanitarian
conditions worsen in Gaza. Thursday's move is the latest setback as
Trump has tried to position himself as peacemaker and vowed to broker
agreements in conflicts from Ukraine to Gaza.
Talks for a Gaza ceasefire have dragged on
When pressed on whether and how the U.S. would proceed on seeking a
truce in Gaza, Pigott did not offer clarity and told reporters that
“this is a very dynamic situation.”
He said there's never been a question of the U.S. commitment to reaching
a ceasefire and faulted Hamas.
The sides have held weeks of talks in Qatar, reporting small signs of
progress but no major breakthroughs. Officials have said a main sticking
point is the redeployment of Israeli troops after any ceasefire takes
place.
Witkoff said the U.S. is “resolute” in seeking an end to the conflict in
Gaza and it was “a shame that Hamas has acted in this selfish way.”
The White House had no comment.
Hamas, in the statement it released early Friday, said it had offered
its final answer following wide consultations with Palestinian factions,
mediators and countries in the region. It said it has dealt positively
with all remarks it received reflecting a “true commitment” to making
the efforts of the mediators successful and to “deal constructively”
with the presented initiatives.
Hamas said it reaffirmed its “keenness to continue the negotiations and
to engage in a way that would ease obstacles and ensure reaching a
permanent ceasefire.”
Israel also calls back its negotiators
Earlier Thursday, Israeli Prime Minster Benjamin Netanyahu’s office
recalled his negotiating team in light of Hamas’ response. In a brief
statement, Netanyahu’s office expressed appreciation for the efforts of
Witkoff and other mediators Qatar and Egypt but gave no further details.
The deal under discussion was expected to include an initial 60-day
ceasefire in which Hamas would release 10 living hostages and the
remains of 18 others in phases in exchange for Palestinians imprisoned
by Israel. Aid supplies would be ramped up, and the two sides would hold
negotiations on a lasting ceasefire.
The talks have been bogged down over competing demands for ending the
war. Hamas says it will only release all hostages in exchange for a full
Israeli withdrawal and end to the war. Israel says it will not agree to
end the conflict until Hamas gives up power and disarms. The militant
group says it is prepared to leave power but not surrender its weapons.
Hamas is believed to be holding the hostages in different locations,
including tunnels, and says it has ordered its guards to kill them if
Israeli forces approach.
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An Israeli soldier stands beside humanitarian aid packages awaiting
pickup on the Palestinian side of the Kerem Shalom crossing in the
Gaza Strip, Thursday, July 24, 2025. during a media tour organized
by the Israeli army. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg)
Trump has been pushing for peace
Trump has made little secret of the fact he wants to receive a Nobel
Peace Prize. For instance, he has promised to quickly negotiate an
end to Russia’s war in Ukraine, but little progress has been made.
On the war in Gaza, Trump met with Netanyahu at the White House this
month, putting his weight behind a push to reach a deal.
But despite a partnership further solidified by their countries’
joint strikes on Iran, the Israeli leader left Washington without
any breakthrough.
The State Department had said earlier in the week that Witkoff would
be traveling to the Middle East for talks, but U.S. officials later
said that Witkoff would instead travel to Europe. It was unclear if
he held meetings there Thursday.
The apparent derailing of the talks comes as Israel’s blockade and
military offensive have driven Gaza to the brink of famine,
according to aid groups. The U.N. food agency says nearly 100,000
women and children are suffering from severe, acute malnutrition,
and the Gaza Health Ministry has reported a rise in hunger-related
deaths.
Israel is criticized for its role in Gaza
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said he would hold an emergency
call Friday with officials from Germany and France to discuss how to
urgently get food to people in need and launch steps to build a
lasting peace.
“The suffering and starvation unfolding in Gaza is unspeakable and
indefensible,” he said in a statement. The three European countries
“all agree on the pressing need for Israel to change course and
allow the aid that is desperately needed to enter Gaza without
delay.”
French President Emmanuel Macron announced Thursday that France
would recognize Palestine as a state, saying, “The urgent thing
today is that the war in Gaza stops and the civilian population is
saved.″
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said in a social media post late
Thursday, “Canada condemns the Israeli government’s failure to
prevent the rapidly deteriorating humanitarian disaster in Gaza.” He
called for “a two-state solution which guarantees peace and security
for Israelis and Palestinians.”
Israel has come under mounting pressure, with 28 Western-aligned
countries calling for an end to the war and harshly criticizing
Israel’s blockade and a new aid delivery model it has rolled out.
More than 100 charity and human rights groups released a similar
letter, saying even their own staff are struggling to get enough
food.
The U.S. and Israel rejected the allegations and blamed Hamas for
prolonging the war by not accepting their terms for a ceasefire.
Israel says it is allowing in enough aid and blames U.N. agencies
for not distributing it. But those agencies say it is nearly
impossible to safely deliver it because of Israeli restrictions and
a breakdown of law and order, with crowds of thousands unloading
food trucks as soon as they move into Gaza.
A separate Israeli- and U.S.-backed system run by an American
contractor has also been marred by chaos.
“Of course, we want to see the end of devastation that is taking
place in Gaza,” Pigott said. “That is why we have supported the Gaza
Humanitarian Foundation. That is why we’ve seen those 90 million
meals being distributed.”
___
Krauss reported from in Ottawa, Ontario. Associated Press writers
Josef Federman and Julia Frankel in Jerusalem, Sarah El Deeb in
Beirut and Farnoush Amiri in New York contributed to this report.
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