Hamas official dismisses Biden's truce optimism as ‘illusion’

A senior Hamas official has dismissed as “an illusion” US President Joe Biden’s optimism that a ceasefire deal in the Gaza Strip is in sight following the latest round of Gaza talks in the Qatari capital Doha.

Sami Abu Zuhri of the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas made the remarks in a statement on Saturday, a day after Biden claimed a ceasefire deal in the West Asia region is "closer than ever."

“To say that we are getting close to a deal is an illusion,” he said.

“We are not facing a deal or real negotiations, but rather the imposing of American diktats,” the Hamas official added.

On Friday, Biden said a deal to end fighting in Gaza is “much closer” after two days of ceasefire talks in Qatar.

"We're not there yet. But we're much, much closer than it was three days ago. So keep your fingers crossed," Biden said, warning all parties in the region to not do anything to undermine the talks at this crucial stage.

Hamas not willing for ‘new talks’ with Israel, official says

The Palestinian resistance movement says it “would not take part in new talks” with Israel on a ceasefire in Gaza.

His remarks came after the United States, Qatar and Egypt issued a joint statement saying they held Gaza ceasefire talks in a positive atmosphere in Doha, adding that the talks were “serious, and constructive.”

The mediators put forward a “bridging proposal” that would allow the “swift” implementation of a deal that would end the war in Gaza and see the release of Israeli captives, the joint statement said.

The mediating trio claimed that their proposal “narrows the gaps between the parties,” referring to Hamas and the Israeli regime.

Hamas has already said it would not accept new conditions from the Israeli regime as outlined in the new proposal.

Biden wants ceasefire but Netanyahu ‘trying to extend conflict’

Meanwhile, Sultan Barakat, professor of public policy at Hamad Bin Khalifa University, says Biden wants a ceasefire to allow US Vice President Kamala Harris to “regain some of the Muslim and Arab votes.”

In contrast, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is trying to continue the war, he told Al Jazeera, stressing that his strategy is to ramp up attacks on Gaza every time there are truce talks, making it very difficult for Palestinians “even to accept to consider an end to this war”.

Israel launched its brutal onslaught on Gaza after the territory's resistance movements launched a surprise attack, dubbed Operation al-Aqsa Storm, against the usurping regime on October 7, 2023.

Hamas: Ceasefire must involve 'complete' Israeli withdrawal from Gaza

Hamas has once again stressed that any agreement with Israel must ensure a comprehensive ceasefire in Gaza.

The Tel Aviv regime has so far killed over 40,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, and injured 92,401 others. More than 1.7 million people have been internally displaced as well.

Despite the ceasefire talks, the Israeli regime is pushing ahead with its air and artillery attacks in the besieged enclave as the genocidal war enters its eleventh month.

Netanyahu has vowed to keep up the war until, what he has called, the “elimination” of Hamas, a prospect that has been ruled out as impossible by the group and even some Israeli officials and Tel Aviv’s allies.

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