United States has halted negotiations for a ceasefire with Hamas amid escalating hunger in the Gaza Strip.

US President Donald Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, announced on Thursday that the United States would be halting its negotiations for a ceasefire in Gaza and recalling its diplomatic team from Qatar for consultations. This decision followed what Witkoff described as Hamas’s recent response, which indicated a lack of willingness to engage in a ceasefire agreement. He emphasized that despite the considerable efforts made by mediators, Hamas seemed neither coordinated nor acting in good faith. As a result, the US is now exploring alternative strategies to secure the release of hostages and to foster a more stable environment for the residents of Gaza. However, the specifics of these “alternative options” remain unclear, and the US administration has struggled to achieve a significant breakthrough in ceasefire discussions between Israel and Hamas. In the meantime, the humanitarian situation in Gaza continues to deteriorate, with the health ministry reporting that 48 Palestinians have succumbed to malnutrition over the past month.