Gaza truce hangs in balance as US cuts short talks

While France wins wide support in announcing a plan to recognize the State of Palestine, the United States is said to be dragging its feet by cutting short talks with the Hamas group aimed at reaching a truce in Gaza and covering Israel's interests, according to analysts.

In a post on X on Thursday, US Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff said: "We have decided to bring our team home from Doha for consultations after the latest response from Hamas, which clearly shows a lack of desire to reach a ceasefire in Gaza. While the mediators have made a great effort, Hamas does not appear to be coordinated or acting in good faith." The Office of the Prime Minister of Israel confirmed a similar move.

Following criticism from Witkoff, Hamas reaffirmed early on Friday its commitment to the negotiations.

In a news statement, Hamas expressed its "astonishment" over the envoy's comments, reaffirming that its engagement in the diplomatic process was aimed at reaching a ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip.

Despite the latest outcome, a source close to the negotiations said "the talks did not collapse", according to a report by Xinhua News Agency, citing Israel's state-owned Kan TV news.

Egypt's Al Qahera News TV report on Friday said the Gaza ceasefire talks are expected to resume next week following Israel's review of Hamas' latest response.

The Council on American-Islamic Relations, or CAIR, the US' largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, condemned US negotiators for withdrawing from Gaza ceasefire talks. It said they were "trying to give the Israeli government cover to continue its genocide".

"Until the Israeli government's enablers in the United States, Europe and the Arab world use their military, economic, diplomatic and financial influence to force a ceasefire on the (Benjamin) Netanyahu government, no one should expect its genocide to stop," said CAIR Deputy Executive Director Edward Ahmed Mitchell.

Abdul Wahed Jalal Nori, a lecturer in the Department of Fundamental and Inter-Disciplinary Studies at International Islamic University Malaysia, told China Daily he believes it was not Hamas' fault but the "result of deliberate sabotage by Israel and its backer, the United States".

"While Palestinians starve, it exposes the real agenda: not peace, but total surrender," he said. "This is not about ending violence, it is about crushing a people's will to exist on their land."

"Israel and the US should understand by now (that) a people fighting for their dignity will never surrender," he added.

Jawaid Iqbal, chairman of the Department of West Asian and North African Studies at Aligarh Muslim University in India, told China Daily that the US "has been following this policy of dragging on ceasefire negotiations from the time of the (Joe) Biden presidency".

"The latest episode is nothing new. It serves Israel's interests to continue the offensive in Gaza. The US is therefore unwilling to give any guarantees on the ground to permanently end the war," said Iqbal.

Days ahead of a high-level UN conference meeting on Gaza on Monday, French President Emmanuel Macron announced France will recognize the State of Palestine "consistent with its historic commitment to a just and lasting peace in the Middle East", earning appreciation from Arab countries but the ire of Israel.

Macron said he "will make this solemn announcement before the United Nations General Assembly this coming September".

In a post on X on Thursday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel strongly condemns Macron's decision.

"A Palestinian state in these conditions would be a launchpad to annihilate Israel — not to live in peace beside it. Let's be clear: the Palestinians do not seek a state alongside Israel; they seek a state instead of Israel," said Netanyahu.

In response to Macron's statement, Saudi Arabia's Foreign Ministry on Friday said: "The Kingdom commends this historic decision, which reaffirms the international community's consensus on the Palestinian people's right to self-determination and to establish their independent state on the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital."

Xinhua contributed to this story.