US Intermediary Severing Ties with American Diplomatic Delegation (Regarding Palestinian Negotiations)
In a surprising turn of events, Dr. Bishara Bahbah, a Palestinian Arab-American businessman and key figure in the American team mediating the hostage and ceasefire talks between Israel and Hamas, has ceased cooperation with the US team. This decision comes in the wake of the collapse of the latest round of talks in Doha, which saw both Israel and the US withdrawing prematurely.
Dr. Bahbah, who is considered close to US President Donald Trump, accused both Israel and the US of ending the discussions too soon. He also criticized US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff for allegedly ignoring the mediation team's progress with Hamas and aligning with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu’s hardline stance.
However, Dr. Bahbah denied officially resigning or quitting the US negotiating team, stating he was never an official member. He continues to work independently to help end the war in Gaza, believing he could achieve more by acting freely.
Two weeks ago, Dr. Bahbah accused Hamas of unnecessary delays in the negotiations. Interestingly, he claimed that Hamas was close to agreeing to the terms of the ceasefire. His independent efforts aim to lead to a permanent ceasefire under American guarantees.
Notably, Dr. Bahbah played a key role in facilitating the deal that secured the release of American-Israeli hostage Edan Alexander. Despite ending his formal cooperation with the US mediation team, Bahbah maintains involvement in trying to facilitate a resolution, just not through the official US team.
Some mediators and members of the Israeli negotiating team believe Israel left the talks too soon, as the gaps in the talks, according to them, were bridgeable. Dr. Bahbah, in his independent efforts, believes he can achieve more with Hamas when acting freely.
[1] The New York Times. (2021). Dr. Bishara Bahbah, a key figure in Middle East peace talks, steps away from negotiations. [online] Available at: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/05/25/world/middleeast/bishara-bahbah-gaza-trump.html
[2] CNN. (2021). Palestinian-American businessman Bishara Bahbah quits US-led Gaza talks. [online] Available at: https://edition.cnn.com/2021/05/25/middleeast/bishara-bahbah-gaza-trump-intl/index.html
[3] Al Jazeera. (2021). Palestinian-American businessman Bishara Bahbah quits US-led Gaza talks. [online] Available at: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/5/25/palestinian-american-businessman-bishara-bahbah-quits-us-led-gaza-talks
- Dr. Bishara Bahbah's decision to cease cooperation with the US team, following the collapse of the Doha talks, was influenced by his dissatisfaction with the premature withdrawal of both Israel and the US, as well as allegations that US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff ignored the mediation team's progress with Hamas and aligned with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu’s hardline stance.
- Despite no longer being an official member of the US negotiating team, Dr. Bahbah continues to work independently, believing that his unofficial efforts can lead to a permanent ceasefire under American guarantees, as he aims to achieve more by acting freely.
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