US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has reached out to Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan to encourage the militant group Hamas to participate in peace negotiations. The discussions are set to take place in Doha, Qatar, on Thursday, following US efforts to mediate indirect talks between Israel and Hamas.
The negotiations will involve representatives from Qatar, Egypt, and the US. According to sources within Israel’s Defence Ministry, Blinken contacted the Turkish government early Tuesday morning to emphasize the critical nature of the peace talks.
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Turkey has a strong relationship with Hamas, with several senior Hamas leaders residing in the country. The initiative for these talks comes in the wake of heightened tensions in the Middle East following the assassination of Hamas Political Bureau Head Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran on July 31. This event has intensified fears of potential attacks on Israel.
Despite the push for dialogue, Hamas expressed reservations about participating in the upcoming talks. On Sunday, the group requested that mediators base the new negotiations on previous agreements rather than starting afresh.
US State Department Deputy Spokesperson Vedant Patel addressed the media on Monday, affirming the US’s commitment to continuing the talks. Patel expressed optimism about reaching a resolution and confirmed that all negotiating parties are expected to resume discussions. However, he did not clarify whether the talks would proceed if Hamas chose not to participate.
The Deputy Spokesperson, however, did not elaborate on whether the talks would move forward without the participation of Hamas.
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