Despite a recent Israeli attack targeting Hamas leaders in Qatar, the Palestinian group remains steadfast in its conditions for ending the Gaza conflict, an official stated on Thursday.
On Tuesday, Israel launched an airstrike aimed at Hamas’s political leaders in Doha, an action described by U.S. officials as an unnecessary escalation that served neither American nor Israeli interests.
Hamas official Fawzi Barhoum, in a televised address, mentioned that the strike hit the group’s negotiation team as they were reviewing a new ceasefire proposal presented by the Qatari prime minister just a day before.
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“At the time of the attack, the delegation was actively discussing their response to the proposal,” Barhoum said.
Qatar has been facilitating and mediating in talks aimed at achieving a ceasefire in the Gaza conflict.
Barhoum reiterated Hamas’s primary demands: a complete ceasefire, the withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza, a genuine prisoner-for-hostage exchange, humanitarian aid, and the reconstruction of the region.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is advocating for a comprehensive deal that includes the simultaneous release of all hostages and Hamas’s surrender.
Hamas reported that five of its members, including the son of former Gaza chief and lead negotiator Khalil al-Hayya, were killed in the attack.
The attack on Doha was condemned by regional powers such as Saudi Arabia and the UAE, along with the European Union, and threatens to disrupt U.S.-backed efforts to negotiate a truce and conclude the nearly two-year conflict.
