Hamas rejects Trump remarks on Gaza talks breakdown
Hamas officials have called on the US to be more even-handed in its role as mediator.
GAZA CITY - Hamas officials expressed surprise on July 26 at US President Donald Trump's accusation that the group
'didn't really want' a ceasefire and hostage release deal for Gaza.
Mr Trump made the allegation on July 25, a day after Israel and the US quit indirect negotiations with Hamas in Qatar that had lasted nearly three weeks.
'Trump's remarks are particularly surprising, especially as they come at a time when progress had been made on some of the negotiation files,' Hamas official Taher al-Nunu told AFP.
'So far, we have not been informed of any issues regarding the files under discussion in the indirect ceasefire negotiations', he added
Mr Nunu, who is close to Hamas's most senior political officials, said he was 'surprised' that Israel and the US had left the talks.
Announcing the recall of US mediators on July 24, Mr Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff accused Hamas of not 'acting in good faith'.
Though not part of the Hamas negotiating team, Hamas politburo member Izzat al-Rishq insisted the group had shown 'flexibility' in the talks.
'The American statements deliberately ignore the real obstructionist to all agreements, Netanyahu's government, which continues to put obstacles, deceive and evade commitments,' he said.
Both Hamas officials called on the US to be more even-handed in its role as mediator in the quest for a ceasefire after more than 21 months of fighting.
'We call for an end to the US bias in favour of Netanyahu, who is obstructing any agreement', Mr Nunu said. AFP
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Straits Times
18 minutes ago
- Straits Times
Thailand accuses Cambodia of second ceasefire violation in two days
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox Soldiers load supplies onto a vehicle after a relief donation ceremony in Oddar Meanchey province on the day military negotiations are set after the leaders of Cambodia and Thailand agreed to a truce effective midnight Monday, ending their deadliest conflict in more than a decade after five days of fierce fighting, in Cambodia, July 29, 2025. REUTERS/Tyrone Siu TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY BANGKOK - Thailand's military accused Cambodian forces on Wednesday of breaching a ceasefire agreement at three separate locations along the disputed border, warning that continued aggression could compel Thai forces to respond more decisively. The allegations come less than two days after both governments agreed to a ceasefire brokered in Malaysia, which came into effect at midnight on Monday, aimed to stop fighting and prevent escalation of their deadliest conflict in more than a decade following five days of intense fighting that has killed at least 43 people and displaced over 300,000 civilians on either side. The truce came after a sustained push from Malaysian Premier Anwar Ibrahim and U.S. President Donald Trump, with the latter warning Thai and Cambodian leaders that trade negotiations would not progress if fighting continued. Thailand and Cambodia face a tariff of 36% on their goods in the U.S., their biggest export market, unless a reduction can be negotiated. After the ceasefire deal was reached, Trump said he had spoken to both leaders and instructed his trade team to restart tariff talks. On Wednesday, Thailand said Cambodian forces fired on positions in northeastern Thailand's Sisaket province on Cambodia's northern border. "Cambodian forces used small arms and grenade launchers, prompting Thailand to respond in self-defence," Thai army spokesman Major-General Winthai Suvaree told reporters. "This was the second incident since the agreement and reflects a behaviour that does not respect agreements, destroys de-escalation efforts and hampers trust between the two countries." Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Business S'pore's Q2 total employment rises, but infocomm and professional services sectors see more job cuts Singapore Fewer than 1 in 5 people noticed suspicious items during MHA's social experiments Business Seatrium to pay $168m to Brazilian authorities, $73m to Singapore authorities to settle corruption case Singapore Migrant workers who gave kickbacks to renew work passes were conservancy workers at AMK Town Council Asia Japan issues tsunami warning after 8.8-magnitude earthquake strikes off Russia Singapore Man charged with having 320 vape pods and over 70 vapes meant for sale in car at Bugis mall Business MAS keeps Singapore dollar policy unchanged amid US tariff risks to economy Singapore Escape, discover, connect: Where new memories are made Cambodia rejected the allegations, saying it was committed to the ceasefire and called for observers. "Cambodia strongly rejects the ceasefire accusations as false, misleading and harmful to the fragile trust-building process," Cambodian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Chum Sounry told reporters at a press conference, adding the government supports a monitoring mechanism and independent observation. The ceasefire, which also agreed to halt troop movement, paves the way for a high-level military meeting that includes defence ministers on August 4 in Cambodia. There have been no reports of any exchange of heavy artillery fire but also no reports of troop withdrawals by either side. REUTERS
Straits Times
18 minutes ago
- Straits Times
Malaysia moving closer to adopting nuclear energy, says minister
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox Malaysia is working to amend its Atomic Energy Act to allow for the ratification of key international treaties and conventions under the IAEA. KUALA LUMPUR - Malaysia is moving a step closer towards adopting nuclear energy as part of its long-term energy transition strategy, with the government having completed a pre-feasibility study on nuclear power. Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Chang Lih Kang said the study's initial findings indicated that nuclear energy has strong potential to serve as a stable, clean and reliable power source for the country. 'In line with this, six technical task forces have been proposed to support nuclear energy readiness. 'Three of these are under the ministry, focusing on technology and industry development, the development of nuclear competencies and a legal and regulatory framework,' he said in Parliament on July 30. According to him, the remaining three teams fall under the purview of the Energy Transition and Water Transformation Ministry. The country currently has 323 nuclear researchers under the Malaysian Nuclear Agency and 36 science officers under the Atomic Energy Department, with 61 of them holding qualifications in nuclear science and engineering, according to Mr Chang. 'This reflects the country's continued commitment to building local expertise to support the safe and responsible advancement of nuclear technology,' he said. He added that Malaysia was working to amend its Atomic Energy Act to allow for the ratification of key international treaties and conventions under the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). 'Once approved by Cabinet, we aim to table the amended Act in this Parliament session. 'This will demonstrate Malaysia's seriousness in exploring nuclear energy as one of our power generation options,' he said. Mr Chang also confirmed that Malaysia signed a strategic civil nuclear cooperation agreement with the United States on July 10, complementing its existing collaborations with China and Russia. 'The agreement will act as a catalyst for long-term cooperation in infrastructure development, joint research, technical training and local industry strengthening,' he added. He said Malaysia is also working closely with the IAEA through technical cooperation programmes, regional partnerships, the Asian Nuclear Cooperation Forum and coordinated research projects. Beyond power generation, nuclear technology was also being used in climate and environmental research, he said. 'This includes isotopic techniques for monitoring greenhouse gas emissions, landslide management, ocean acidification and groundwater lifespan,' said Mr Chang. The IAEA recognises nuclear science as contributing to the 13th United Nations Sustainable Development Goal on climate action, he added. In agriculture, Malaysia was also using nuclear-related techniques for plant mutation breeding to produce climate-resilient crops and to support disease control, he said. Responding to a question from Datuk Ahmad Amzad Hashim, Mr Chang acknowledged that Malaysia still needs to ratify several international treaties before advancing nuclear development. He said local lab-scale extraction projects have shown encouraging results on thorium research , though Malaysia has yet to begin research and development on thorium-based power generation. 'We are progressively upgrading our research capabilities and working with countries such as China, India, Russia and the United States that have advanced expertise in this area,' he said. THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK
CNA
18 minutes ago
- CNA
Singapore prepared to contribute to Gaza reconstruction once permanent ceasefire reached
SINGAPORE: Singapore said on Tuesday (Jul 29) that in the longer term, it is prepared to contribute to the reconstruction of Gaza once a permanent ceasefire agreement is reached. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs' (MFA) deputy secretary for Asia-Pacific Kevin Cheok delivered Singapore's national statement at a United Nations conference in New York about the peaceful settlement of Palestine and the implementation of a two-state solution. He said that Singapore supports the Egypt-proposed Arab Reconstruction Plan and its vision for reconstruction in Gaza. The proposal would sideline Hamas and replace it with interim bodies controlled by Arab, Muslim and Western states. The plan, a counter to US President Donald Trump's ambitions for Gaza as a "riviera", firmly rejects the US proposal for mass displacement of Palestinians from Gaza. This is the first time Singapore has publicly thrown it support behind Egypt's proposal. The foreign ministers of France, Germany, Italy and Britain said earlier this year that they supported the plan. In his statement to the UN, Mr Cheok said Singapore remains committed to helping to alleviate the humanitarian suffering in Gaza. To date, Singapore has contributed more than US$17 million in monetary and in-kind assistance, and has worked with its regional partners and relief organisations to do what it can to help. "Looking ahead, we are considering the deployment of a medical team to the region to help treat patients from Gaza," said Mr Cheok. The country also remains committed to supporting the Palestinian Authority's capacity-building efforts through its US$7 million Enhanced Technical Assistance Package, Mr Cheok said. As part of this effort, the number of scholarships for Palestinians to study in Singapore universities has been increased. It will also launch two new initiatives next year. Singapore will collaborate with Japan to train Palestinian Civil Police officers in community policing. It will also launch a young leaders' programme to share its experiences in public administration and governance. "We hope that these efforts will help prepare Palestinians for their eventual statehood." VIOLATION OF HUMANITARIAN LAW At the UN, Mr Cheok reiterated Singapore's comments on the situation in Gaza and again called for a ceasefire and for Hamas to release all remaining hostages immediately and unconditionally. "What we are witnessing in Gaza today is heartbreaking. The denial of humanitarian aid is causing starvation and a dire lack of essential medical services," he said. "The reports of people being shot whilst desperately trying to access food are shocking. This is unconscionable and a violation of international humanitarian law." He called on the Israeli government to immediately lift all restrictions on the delivery of humanitarian assistance, and said the UN and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) must be allowed to resume their aid missions unimpeded. "We must do all we can to prevent a further loss of life on both sides." Singapore has "consistently supported the right of the Palestinians to their own homeland based on a negotiated two-state solution", Mr Cheok said. "We firmly believe that this is the only viable pathway to achieving a comprehensive, just, and durable solution to this longstanding conflict. To this end, we are prepared in principle to recognise the State of Palestine." Singapore's key consideration is that such a move "should help progress" towards peace and a negotiated two-state solution. "There must be an effective Palestinian government in place, that also categorically renounces terrorism and accepts Israel's right to exist," said Mr Cheok. He added that Singapore welcomes a letter from Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, dated Jun 9, that reiterated "the Palestinian Authority's continued rejection of violence and terrorism, its longstanding recognition of Israel's right to exist, and its commitment to the implementation of its reform agenda". Singapore hopes that these commitments can be implemented fully, said Mr Cheok. It also urged Israelis and Palestinians to "return to the negotiating table and make necessary, albeit difficult, concessions". "To continue on the current trajectory will only make the goal of peace even more difficult to achieve, and result in an endless cycle of mutual hatred and violence," said Mr Cheok.
