US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said some of Hamas’s proposed amendments to the US Gaza truce proposal are not “workable”, but efforts to reach an agreement continue.
Speaking from Doha on Wednesday alongside Qatar Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, Blinken said Israel’s war on Gaza would continue “because of” Hamas’ response.
“Hamas proposed many changes to the proposal that was on the table. We discussed these changes last night with Egyptian colleagues and today with the prime minister,” Blinken said. “Some changes are achievable. Some are not.
Washington presented the plan late last month, saying it would lead to a “lasting” ceasefire in Gaza.
Hamas submitted its response jointly with Palestinian Islamic Jihad on Tuesday, calling it “responsible” and “positive.”
“The response prioritizes the interest of our Palestinian people, the need to completely stop the ongoing aggression against Gaza and the withdrawal (of Israeli forces) from the entire Gaza Strip,” said the group in a press release.
When US President Joe Biden announced the phased proposal on May 31, he said it would include the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza and a permanent cessation of hostilities.
The divergence between Hamas’s position and the American proposal is unclear. On Tuesday, Blinken placed the blame squarely on the Palestinian group for the failure to reach an agreement.
“A deal was on the table that was virtually identical to a proposal presented by Hamas on May 6 – a deal supported by the whole world, a deal that Israel accepted. And Hamas could have answered with one word: yes,” Blinken said.
“Instead, Hamas waited nearly two weeks and then proposed further changes, a number of which went beyond the positions it had previously taken and accepted. »
Hamas responds to Blinken
Hamas official Taher Al-Nunu accused Blinken of bias, saying the top US diplomat was behaving as if he had been Israel’s foreign minister since the start of the war.
“It lacks neutrality. He lacks impartiality. He operates with double standards. He is trying to present the (Palestinian) resistance as if it is the party that is obstructing the agreement,” Al-Nunu told Tel Aviv Tribune Mubasher later on Wednesday.
He said Hamas accepted the proposal presented by Qatar and Egypt on May 6 as is, and it was Israel that added amendments. Hamas’ response Tuesday was a counter-revision to some of the Israeli changes, Al-Nunu said.
According to Al-Nunu, the Hamas notes were intended to ensure that Israel would not renege on the agreement and resume the war after the first phase, which would see the release of some of its captives in Gaza.
Asked whether Hamas would show flexibility in the face of demands Blinken called “unachievable,” Al-Nunu said it was “normal” for negotiating parties to accept or reject amendments to a proposal.
In his news conference with Blinken, Qatar’s Sheikh Mohammed said talks aimed at bridging the gap between the sides would continue.
“This is not about new efforts or new negotiating dynamics. There is always space and “give and take”. After all, these are negotiations to reach an agreement. There is no absolute answer – yes or no,” he said.
A “lasting” peace
The Qatari prime minister has called for a “lasting solution” to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict that would see the creation of a Palestinian state based on the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital.
Blinken also stressed the need for “lasting” peace and building a “more integrated, more stable and more prosperous” Middle East.
“During my eighth visit to the region since October 7, everyone I spoke with made it clear that this is the path they want to take,” the top US diplomat said.
“Now I cannot speak for Hamas or respond for Hamas. And ultimately, this may not be the path Hamas wants to follow, but Hamas cannot and will not be allowed to decide the future of this region and its people.
The Biden administration and Arab countries have called for a two-state solution to the conflict, but Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has flatly rejected the creation of a Palestinian state.
“I will not compromise on full Israeli security control over the entire area west of Jordan – and this is contrary to a Palestinian state,” Netanyahu said in a social media post in January.
Washington, which previously vetoed three United Nations Security Council resolutions that would have demanded a ceasefire in Gaza, provides $3.8 billion in military aid to Israel annually.
Earlier this year, Biden approved an additional $14 billion in aid to Israel as the country pursues what he calls a “total victory” against Hamas.
Meanwhile, the Biden administration has been pressuring the Netanyahu government to present a plan for post-war Gaza.
On Wednesday, Blinken said the United States would soon present its own vision for post-conflict Gaza.
“In the coming weeks, we will present proposals on key elements of the plan for the next day, including concrete ideas on how to manage governance, security and (and) reconstruction,” he said. “This plan is essential to transforming a ceasefire into a lasting end to the conflict. »
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