Israel abandons peace talks with Hamas after UN ceasefire vote

Benjamin Netanyahu said that Hamas is not interested in reaching an agreement. Photo: Ronen Zvulun/Reuters

Binyamin Netanyahu called off peace talks with Hamas after the UN Security Council demanded an immediate ceasefire in the conflict between Israel and the Gaza Strip.

The Israeli Prime Minister's Office said on Tuesday that decided to withdraw the delegation to Qatar due to Hamas's intransigent negotiating position. .

Mr Netanyahu said the terror group had rejected an American «compromise» offer that would have linked any ceasefire to the release of Israeli hostages.

Instead, Hamas insisted on “extreme demands,” including an immediate cessation of hostilities.

“Hamas is not interested in continuing negotiations and reaching an agreement,” Mr. Netanyahu said, adding that this is “sad evidence of the destructive nature of the UN Security Council decision.”

The Israeli leader was referring to the Gaza ceasefire resolution, which was passed on Monday after the US, a key Israeli ally, abstained from using its veto.

Meanwhile on Monday, the Royal Air Force made the delivery UK first aid to Gaza as part of international efforts to ease the humanitarian crisis in the isolated enclave.

The airdropped aid consists of water, rice, cooking oil, flour, canned food and baby food. Photo: LEAH JONES/MOD/AFP via Getty Images

An Atlas plane took off from Jordan to airdrop more than 10 tons of food. including water, rice, cooking oil and baby food.

“The UK has already tripled our aid budget for Gaza, but we want to go further to reduce human suffering,” said Grant Shapps, the defense secretary. Secretary.

Qatar's Foreign Ministry said negotiations would continue. An unnamed Israeli official told Haaretz that «part» of the delegation would remain in Doha to continue negotiations, insisting that the deal «has not fallen through.»

The families of some of the hostages were angered by the move and the government's apparent refusal to make a rescue their loved ones are a priority.

Several relatives invited to the parliamentary hearing on Tuesday afternoon began shouting “shame” after learning that the Knesset would not cancel the recess, which is scheduled to begin next weekend.

Mr Netanyahu, who canceled a trip to Washington after the UN vote, faced sharp criticism in Israeli media on Tuesday for «overreacting» to the resolution.

A commentator for the centrist newspaper Ma'ariv called the prime minister's response «madness» that «has humiliated the American administration for no reason.»

«Every day this man remains in power causes strategic damage to the future of the State of Israel «, wrote Ben Caspit.

Despite a UN resolution calling for a ceasefire, the IDF stepped up its bombing of Gaza on Monday evening, calling it the largest in the history of the week.

Destruction and casualties were reported across the Gaza Strip, including 18 people, nine of them children, in an airstrike on a residential building in northeast Rafah.