Deadlock in Doha: Blinken's Efforts Fail as Israel and Hamas Clash Over Withdrawal Terms

A report by Nada Andraos, English adaptation by Nadine Sassine 

Between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's insistence on rejecting any withdrawal from the Netzarim axis and the Philadelphi Corridor, and Hamas' insistence on the condition of a full withdrawal, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken concluded his tour in Doha without achieving any breakthrough.

Blinken had arrived in Doha from El-Alamein on Egypt’s northern coast, where he had held talks with President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi. However, the surprise was that in Qatar, he did not meet with the Emir of the country due to the Emir's illness, as revealed by a US official.

Blinken reviewed mediation efforts with the Qatari Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, but all these talks failed to yield the desired results.

It is worth noting that Doha informed Blinken of its commitment to its role as a mediator in the negotiations. However, Washington's insistence on praising the proposal and speaking optimistically does not necessarily mean moving forward with it.

The American site Axios reported that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu convinced Blinken to keep Israeli forces at the Philadelphi Corridor. The response came from Doha.

Meanwhile, Hamas, accused of obstructing the agreement, has repeatedly blamed Israel for the obstruction, rejecting Washington's accusations that it is backing down from the agreement.

Blinken responded from Doha, stating that the US does not accept any long-term Israeli occupation of Gaza. He emphasized that the agreement is very clear regarding the timetable and locations for the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza, and that Israel had agreed to this.

Despite this, Hamas again reiterated its stance, blaming Israel for the obstruction, and rejected US statements that it was reneging on the agreement.