A senior leader from the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) told Reuters – today, Thursday – that the amendments that the movement requested to be made to the ceasefire proposal presented by the United States are “not significant” and include the complete withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Gaza Strip.
Reuters quoted the leader, whose name was not mentioned, that the movement is demanding that a list of 100 Palestinians who have been sentenced to long prison terms be selected to be released from Israeli prisons.
He explained that Hamas “reserved the exception of the Israeli paper for 100 Palestinian prisoners with high sentences, whom it identifies, in addition to restricting the time period for the release of those with high sentences so that the remaining period of their sentence does not exceed 15 years.”
He continued, “The conclusion: There are no major amendments that require objection, according to the opinion of the Hamas leadership.”
Blinken’s statement
US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said – yesterday, Wednesday – that Hamas proposed several changes, some of which are not implementable, to the US-backed proposal, but the mediators are determined to fill the gaps.
Blinken refrained from going into the details of the proposal, but he stressed that it is very similar to the proposal that Hamas agreed to on May 6, and he sees no reason why it should not accept it now.
However, he said that the most important provisions of the proposal are an immediate ceasefire, the withdrawal of Israeli forces from residential areas in Gaza, and an increase in humanitarian aid to the Strip.
Some provisions also stipulate the return of Palestinians in Gaza to their homes, and the commitment of both parties to negotiate within the first six weeks to reach a permanent ceasefire, considering that this is the fastest and most effective path to achieving a sustainable calm between the two sides.
For its part, the Hamas movement said that it showed the positivity required to reach a comprehensive and satisfactory agreement based on the just demands of the Palestinian people, directing sharp criticism at the administration of US President Joe Biden and his Secretary of State, Blinken.
Hamas confirmed in a statement that while the US Secretary of State continues to talk about Israel’s approval of President Biden’s proposal, no Israeli official has been heard talking about this approval.