Hamas unlikely to join new ceasefire talks as it accuses Israel of stalling

Hamas appears unlikely to participate in a new round of talks on a Gaza ceasefire deal today, further dampening hopes of an agreement that might stave off expected retaliatory strikes by Iran against Israel for the killing of a Hamas leader in Tehran last month.

- Jason Burke

Most observers already had low expectations of the ceasefire talks, with Israel hardening its position in recent weeks and fears that Hamas, now led by its most hardline faction, would offer few concessions.

Iran this week rejected calls by western powers not to retaliate for the apparent assassination in Tehran of Ismail Haniyeh, the political leader of Hamas, on 31 July, just hours after an Israeli strike in Beirut killed a senior commander of Hezbollah, the powerful Iran-backed militant group in Lebanon.

The prospect of imminent Iranian strikes against Israel has raised fears of a wider conflict after more than 10 months of war in Gaza. US and Iranian officials have both suggested that significant progress towards a ceasefire in Gaza might bring immediate regional de-escalation.

Asked on Tuesday if he thought Iran might forgo a retaliatory strike if a Gaza ceasefire were reached, the US president, Joe Biden, said: "That's my expectation."

The White House warned that a "significant set of attacks" by Iran and its allies was possible as soon as this week, and sent fighter jets, antimissile warships and a guided missile submarine to the region in support of Israel.

In April, after two Iranian generals were killed in a strike on Tehran's embassy in Syria, Iran launched hundreds of drones, cruise missiles and ballistic missiles towards Israel, damaging two airbases. Almost all of the weapons were shot down before they reached their targets.