Yazan Abu Ful, a 2-year-old malnourished child, sits at his family home in the Shati refugee camp in Gaza City on July 23, 2025. JEHAD ALSHRAFI / AP
The United States joined Israel on Thursday, July 24, in pulling its negotiators from Gaza ceasefire talks, with special envoy Steve Witkoff blaming Hamas for failing to reach a deal and saying Washington would "consider alternative options." Mediators have been shuttling between Israeli and Hamas delegations in Doha for more than two weeks but the talks have failed to yield a breakthrough. Pressure is mounting over the plight of the more than two million Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, where the fighting has triggered a dire humanitarian crisis and warnings that "mass starvation" were spreading.
Witkoff accused Hamas of not "acting in good faith," and said the US was bringing home its team. Hamas's response "clearly shows a lack of desire to reach a ceasefire in Gaza," Witkoff said in a post on social media. Washington would now "consider alternative options to bring the hostages home and try to create a more stable environment for the people of Gaza. It is a shame that Hamas has acted in this selfish way," he added.
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Trump aligns with Israel's most hardline positions in the war against the Palestinians
