Hamas rejected criticism from top U.S. officials after ceasefire talks with Israel broke down earlier in the week.
“We are deeply shocked by the remarks made by U.S. President Trump and previously by U.S. special envoy Witkoff. These comments oppose the mediators’ evaluation of Hamas’ stance and do not align with the genuine progress in negotiations. Mediators, especially Qatar and Egypt, have acknowledged this progress and expressed satisfaction and appreciation for our committed and positive approach,” stated Izzat Al-Rishq, a member of the Hamas Movement’s Political Bureau, in a statement.
Al-Rishq went on to claim that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government was “the real obstructionist to all agreements,” accusing Israeli officials of continuing to “put up obstacles, deceive, and evade commitments.” He then demanded that the U.S. put more pressure on Israel “to seriously engage in ending the aggression and achieving a prisoner exchange deal,” presumably referring to the remaining hostages in Gaza and Palestinians in Israeli prisons.
U.S. Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff delivers remarks alongside President Donald Trump during the swearing-in ceremony for interim U.S. Attorney for Washington, D.C. Jeanine Pirro in the Oval Office of the White House on May 28, 2025, in Washington, D.C. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
On the same day the U.S. announced its negotiators would leave Qatar, Netanyahu’s office said the Israeli team would also withdraw, citing Hamas’ response.
President Donald Trump expressed his disappointment in Hamas’ handling of the negotiations while speaking with press outside the White House on Friday. He speculated that Hamas did not want to make a deal because “they know what happens after you get the final hostages” out of Gaza.
“Hamas didn’t really want to make a deal. I think they want to die, and it’s very, very bad,” Trump said. “It got to be to a point where you’re going to have to finish the job.”
Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, right, hands President Donald Trump a folder during a meeting in the Blue Room of the White House, Monday, July 7, 2025, in Washington, D.C. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
Qatar and Egypt, which have acted as mediators in the talks, issued a joint statement on Friday in which the countries confirmed they would continue to work on securing a ceasefire.
“The two countries, in partnership with the United States of America, reaffirm their commitment to continuing efforts toward reaching a comprehensive agreement for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip,” Qatar and Egypt’s joint statement read.
While the breakdown of negotiations is a clear setback, talks are expected to resume next week, according to Reuters, which cited Egyptian state-affiliated Al Qahera News TV.
