Efforts to end the relentless siege of Gaza have been set back by the abrupt end to peace talks in Qatar. Both the United States and Israel have withdrawn their negotiating teams, accusing Hamas of a “lack of desire to reach a ceasefire.

A senior Hamas official publicly criticized U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff on Friday, accusing him of misrepresenting the facts surrounding the stalled Gaza truce negotiations. The backlash followed Washington’s decision to step away from the indirect talks, blaming Hamas for halting progress on a potential ceasefire and hostage agreement.

US President Donald Trump blamed Hamas for stalled Gaza ceasefire talks, backing Israel to escalate its offensive. He withdrew negotiators from Doha, citing Hamas’s bad faith, and urged “finishing the job.