Israel-Hamas War: Hamas will not participate in the Gaza ceasefire talks to be held today, Antony Blinken's visit to West Asia postponed

Hamas said on Wednesday it would not take part in a new round of Gaza ceasefire talks scheduled for Thursday in Qatar. However, an official familiar with the talks said mediators hoped to hold consultations with the Palestinian group later.

The US said it hoped talks would proceed as planned in Doha on Thursday and a ceasefire agreement was still possible. It also warned that progress was urgently needed to prevent a wider war. Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has postponed his trip to West Asia. The trip was scheduled to begin on Tuesday.

Israel to send negotiating team on August 15

Three senior Iranian officials said only a ceasefire agreement in Gaza would prevent Iran from direct retaliation against Israel. Government spokesman David Menser said Israel would send a negotiating team on August 15 to finalize details of the implementation of the framework agreement. The delegation includes Israeli intelligence chief David Barnea, head of the domestic security service Ronen Bar, etc.

Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar is becoming an obstacle

Hamas has expressed doubts about the possibility of real results of the talks and has blamed Israel for obstructing it. At the same time, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says that Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar has been the main obstacle to sealing any agreement. However, Hamas' absence from the talks does not eliminate the chances of progress, as its chief negotiator Khalil al-Haya is in Doha and the group has open channels with Egypt and Qatar.

US approves $ 20 billion arms sale to Israel

The State Department announced on Tuesday that the US has approved the sale of $ 20 billion worth of weapons to Israel, including several fighter jets and air-to-air missiles. Congress has been informed about this.

17 people killed in Israeli attacks in Gaza

17 people, including five children, were killed in Israeli attacks on Gaza overnight and on Wednesday. These attacks targeted homes in the area of ​​the Nuseirat refugee camp and the nearby Maghazi refugee camp. At the same time, five Palestinians were killed by the Israeli army in Tubas and Tammun in the northern West Bank.