6/6/2024–|Last updated: 6/6/202402:58 PM (Mecca time)
A joint statement issued by the United States, Britain, Canada, Germany and other countries called on the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) to accept the proposal announced by US President Joe Biden for a permanent ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.
According to the White House, the presidents of Argentina, Austria, Brazil, Bulgaria, Colombia, Denmark, France, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Spain and Thailand participated in the statement.
The statement said, “At this crucial moment, we call on the leaders of Israel, as well as Hamas, to make any final concessions necessary to complete this agreement.”
Discussions in Doha
The Axios website quoted officials as saying that Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdul Rahman Al Thani, the Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, and Egyptian Intelligence Director Abbas Kamel met yesterday, Wednesday, in Doha, with Hamas officials, to discuss the potential deal.
For its part, the New York Times quoted an informed official that the CIA director met in Doha with the Qatari Prime Minister, Foreign Minister, and Egyptian Intelligence Chief.
She added that the meeting focused on finding ways to bring Israel and Hamas closer together in order to reach an agreement.
The New York Times, quoting the official, confirmed that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s statements made Hamas wonder whether Israel really wanted a permanent cessation of fighting.
On the other hand, Israeli Channel 13 spoke of a “political storm” inside Israel after US President Joe Biden’s speech that would threaten the government’s stability.
Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir spoke about what he called Netanyahu’s “disavowal” of being informed of the draft deal proposal, adding, “I ask the prime minister: Do you have anything to hide? And I say to him: If you sign a weak deal that leads to ending the war without eliminating Hamas, the party will be strong.” “A Jew will dismantle the government.”
In this context, the Israeli Broadcasting Authority said that the government decided not to send a delegation to Doha to participate in the negotiations until after Hamas agreed to the Israeli proposal.
Israeli Radio reported that sources in the War Council describe these days as decisive for the future of the negotiations and their fate.
Waiting for Hamas’ response
In the same context, US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said that he does not believe that Hamas’ response to the proposal announced by Biden will take a long time.
Miller expressed his hope that Hamas would respond to the proposal as soon as possible.
On the other hand, the head of the Hamas Political Bureau, Ismail Haniyeh, said that the movement and the resistance factions will deal seriously and positively with any agreement on the basis of a comprehensive cessation of aggression, complete withdrawal, and prisoner exchange.
Haniyeh added in a statement that the movement “is conducting the negotiations armed with this position, which represents the will of the Palestinian people and their valiant resistance.”
Last Friday, Biden spoke about a three-stage Israeli proposal that includes a ceasefire in Gaza, the release of detainees, and the reconstruction of the Strip.
Since October 7, 2023, Israel has been waging a devastating war on the Gaza Strip, leaving more than 119,000 Palestinians dead and wounded – most of them children and women – and about 10,000 missing, amid massive destruction and famine that claimed the lives of children and the elderly.
