Netanyahu had been working to sabotage the talks in the weeks leading up to his trip to Washington
The Israeli assassination of Hamas’s political chief, Ismail Haniyeh, in the Iranian capital of Tehran is expected to derail negotiations for a hostage and Gaza ceasefire deal.
Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed Bin Abdul Rahman al-Thani, who has been mediating indirect talks between Israel and Hamas, expressed concern about the impact the assassination will have on the negotiations.
“Political assassinations and continued targeting of civilians in Gaza while talks continue leads us to ask, how can mediation succeed when one party assassinates the negotiator on the other side? Peace needs serious partners and a global stance against the disregard for human life,” al-Thani wrote on X.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was doing everything he could to sabotage the chances of a deal before his big trip to Washington, something that’s been widely acknowledged by Israeli media and officials.
Haniyeh was seen as Hamas’s leading proponent of reaching a ceasefire deal with Hamas. While Hamas’s top leader is Yahya Sinwar, who is believed to be hiding deep inside the tunnel system under Gaza, Haniyeh was the top official for the Palestinian group outside of Gaza and played a key role in the negotiations.
