International : 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 who was aware of the talks said that the 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 that a ceasefire agreement was still possible, warning 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 finalise the framework agreement's implementation details. The delegation includes Israel's intelligence chief, David Barnea, the 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 the talks producing real results and blamed Israel for obstructing them. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar has been the main obstacle to sealing an agreement. However, Hamas' absence from the talks does not end the chances of progress, as its chief negotiator Khalil al-Hayya is in Doha and the group has open channels with Egypt and Qatar.