At last the French stand up – Peter
Washington: The United States is sending its mediators home from ceasefire negotiations in Qatar, blaming Hamas for the breakdown in talks, and says it will consider “alternative options” to rescue Israeli hostages and improve the humanitarian situation in Gaza.
The collapse in ceasefire talks comes at a critical time, with Israel under increasing global pressure amid reports from humanitarian groups of mass starvation and the mounting death toll of Palestinian civilians killed while seeking food and aid.
French President Emmanuel Macron said on Friday (AEST) that France would officially recognise Palestine as a state from next month, saying: “The urgency today is to end the war in Gaza and to provide aid to the civilian population.”
Israel and Hamas have been holding indirect talks in the Qatari capital, Doha, along with US officials, aimed at reaching a 60-day truce and a hostage release deal. But US President Donald Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, said overnight that negotiations had stalled, accusing Hamas of behaving selfishly.
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