A Hamas representative said on Wednesday that the Palestinian Islamist group was unlikely to take part in the next round of Gaza ceasefire talks.
The official, who asked not to be named, told dpa that Hamas had no plans to directly engage in Thursday's negotiations because mediators had yet to present a plan to implement the ceasefire framework outlined by US President Joe Biden in late May.
The negotiations are to take place in the Qatari capital Doha, sources told dpa.
CIA chief William Burns, Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani and Egypt's intelligence chief Abbas Kamel are set to take part, as they have in past talks.
David Barnea, head of the Mossad foreign intelligence service, is expected to represent Israel.
Because Israel and Hamas are not negotiating one-to-one with each other, Qatar, Egypt and the United States act as mediators.
The talks on Thursday are seen as a decisive moment in the attempt to achieve a ceasefire and an exchange of militant-held hostages for Israeli-held Palestinian prisoners.
If there is a breakthrough, it is hoped that a major retaliatory strike promised by Iran against Israel - and therefore a significant expansion of the war - could be prevented.
It was not clear how Hamas' absence would impact the Doha talks. A senior Hamas official in Turkey said that the group was prepared to be informed about the points discussed afterwards.
A framework endorsed by Biden provides for a complete and unrestricted ceasefire of six weeks in the Gaza Strip. During this period, a certain group of hostages would be released. In return, Palestinians imprisoned in Israel would be released.
After that, the fighting would cease permanently and the remaining hostages would be released. In a final phase, the reconstruction of the Gaza would begin.
US envoy in Lebanon says "no time to waste"
US special envoy Amos Hochstein said on Wednesday that it is time for diplomatic solutions in Gaza and Lebanon, as he visited Beirut one day ahead of the resumption of Gaza negotiations in Doha.
Hochstein met House Speaker Nabih Berri, a close ally of Lebanon's Iranian-backed Hezbollah movement, where they both discussed the framework agreement on the table for a Gaza ceasefire.
"He and I agree there is no more time to waste and there is no more valid excuses from any party for any further delay," Hochstein told reporters.
"The deal will also enable a diplomatic resolution here in Lebanon and that would prevent an outbreak of a wider war," he said.
Since war began in the Gaza Strip in October 2023, there have also been daily clashes between the Israeli army, Hezbollah and allied groups in the border area between Israel and Lebanon.
There have been casualties on both sides. Many residents in both countries have left their homes because of the fighting.
German ambassador urges ceasefire
Germany's ambassador to Israel on Wednesday called for a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of hostages held by the Palestinian militant group Hamas, ahead of the crucial round of peace talks.
At a press conference with the British and US ambassadors in Tel Aviv, Steffen Seibert said there was "no more important duty at the moment" than to achieve the release of the hostages as quickly as possible.
"Their suffering is beyond comprehension," said Seibert, referring to the “horrible reports” from those who have been released so far.
“We also know that some will not return alive,” he added.
Hezbollah swears revenge for killing of commander
Hezbollah has sworn revenge after Israel killed its military commander Fuad Shukr in Beirut two weeks ago. A large-scale barrage by Hezbollah on Israel, perhaps in coordination with an attack by Iran, has been expected for days.
Shukr was killed hours before Ismail Haniyeh, chief of the Palestinian militant group Hamas, was killed in Tehran on July 31.
Israel claimed responsibility for the attack on Shukr but has neither confirmed nor denied a role in Haniyeh's death.
When asked if there is a chance to avoid a war between Israel and Hezbollah, US envoy Hochstein replied: "I hope so and I believe so"
The US envoy has been trying to find a diplomatic solution between Israel and Hezbollah for months, although his recurrent visits to the region have yet to lead to calm along Lebanon's southern border.
In 2022, Hochstein mediated a deal on the maritime border in the Mediterranean between Israel and Lebanon.
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