US Secretary of State Antony Blinken stated on Wednesday that Hamas had proposed numerous changes, some unworkable, to a US-backed ceasefire proposal with Israel in Gaza. Despite this, mediators are committed to bridging the gaps.
Senior Hamas official Osama Hamdan denied that Hamas had suggested new ideas, asserting that Israel was rejecting proposals, with the US siding with its ally.
White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan acknowledged that many of Hamas’ proposed changes were minor and expected, though some significantly differed from the U.N. Security Council resolution supporting President Joe Biden’s plan.
“Our aim is to conclude this process. The time for haggling is over,” Sullivan said.
Hamas seeks written guarantees from the US on the ceasefire plan, according to two Egyptian security sources. On Wednesday, Hamas issued a statement highlighting its “positivity” in negotiations and urging the US to pressure Israel to accept an agreement for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza, full withdrawal, reconstruction, and the release of Palestinian prisoners.
While US officials claim Israel has accepted Biden’s May 31 ceasefire proposal, Hamas said it has not heard any Israeli confirmation.
Biden’s proposal includes a truce and a phased release of Israeli hostages in Gaza in exchange for Palestinians jailed in Israel, aiming for a permanent end to the conflict.
At a press conference in Doha, Blinken noted that some of Hamas’ counter-proposals sought to change terms it had previously accepted.
Months of talks
Negotiators from the US, Egypt, and Qatar have been mediating a ceasefire in the conflict that has killed tens of thousands of Palestinians and devastated Gaza, also aiming to free over 100 hostages believed to remain captive.
“Hamas could have answered with a single word: Yes,” Blinken said. “Instead, Hamas waited nearly two weeks and proposed more changes, several going beyond previous positions.”
In its Wednesday statement, Hamas expressed readiness to cooperate, accusing the US of complicity in the “genocide” against Palestinians and providing cover for Israel’s assault on Gaza.
Israel has not publicly stated its acceptance of the US proposal. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly stated that Israel will not end its campaign until Hamas is eliminated.
Major powers are working to defuse the conflict to prevent a wider Middle East war, especially with escalating hostilities along the Lebanese-Israeli border.
The conflict began on Oct. 7 when Hamas killed 1,200 Israelis and took over 250 hostages. Israel’s subsequent air and ground war has killed over 37,000 Palestinians, displaced most of Gaza’s 2.3 million population, and devastated its infrastructure.
The World Health Organization warned on Wednesday that many in Gaza face “catastrophic hunger and famine-like conditions,” with over 8,000 children diagnosed with acute malnutrition.
A U.N. inquiry found both Israel and Hamas had committed war crimes early in the Gaza war, with Israel’s actions also constituting crimes against humanity due to the immense civilian losses.
Israel continues assaults in Gaza
As diplomats seek a ceasefire deal, Israel continued assaults in Gaza. On Wednesday night, Israeli forces intensified air and tank bombardment in Rafah and central Gaza, with an airstrike in Al-Nuseirat refugee camp killing three people. Earlier, six people were killed in an airstrike on Gaza City, and one man was killed by a tank shell in Rafah.
