The US position on the Gaza ceasefire is that Hamas is responsible for the delay and that Israel did not simply accept the agreement – it produced it.
In the weeks since US President Joe Biden announced his ceasefire proposal, his administration has reiterated this point.
The United States even took this idea to the United Nations, where the Security Council supported a text affirming that Israel accepted the agreement.
Is Hamas really reluctant?
Hamas made positive statements on the proposal and submitted a response including the requested changes. There have been no confirmed reports on the nature of these changes.
On the other hand, Israel refuses to say whether it supports the proposal.
The Palestinian group has consistently said it supports a ceasefire and wants an end to fighting in Gaza.
It also said it would “act positively to reach an agreement”, and its political leader, Ismail Haniyeh, said on Sunday that the group’s position was “in line with the fundamental principles” of the ceasefire proposal.
In early May, Hamas accepted an Egyptian-Qatari proposal that set a timetable for a ceasefire and would present only minor differences from the agreement currently on the table.
What was Israel’s response?
Israel has only been clear about what it does not want: no end to the war until “Hamas is defeated.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his government were given two weeks to confirm that this proposal was theirs, but chose not to do so.
Instead, Netanyahu was reported to have said in a closed-door meeting that Biden’s presentation of the proposal was “inaccurate” and “incomplete.”
This did not stop the United States from blaming Hamas. Secretary of State Antony Blinken reiterated to Tel Aviv Tribune on Thursday that Israel had accepted the proposal and that Hamas had not accepted it.
The same day, Biden said the biggest problem preventing a ceasefire was the refusal of Hamas to sign up to it.
What does the Biden proposal say?
The proposal calls for a three-stage timetable that would see a temporary cessation of fighting and the release of some captives in a first phase while negotiators work on the next two stages, which would include a permanent ceasefire.
Although Israel has not made any firm statements on the issue, several politicians have made statements about continuing the war against Gaza.
Netanyahu insisted that Israel would not back down from its goal of “destructing Hamas’ military and governmental capabilities.”
Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said Hamas’ rule in Gaza would not be accepted and that fighting would continue to “keep Hamas members away from… areas (in Gaza).”
In late May, Netanyahu’s national security adviser, Tzachi Hanegbi, even said the war would continue for “at least another seven months” – other Israeli leaders have suggested there would be no respite for Palestinians in Gaza, even in 2025.
Meanwhile, Israel continues to attack Gaza since Biden’s proposal, in Rafah, Nuseirat and elsewhere, leading to the deaths of hundreds of Palestinian civilians and a death toll that now exceeds 37,000.
What is the reason for Hamas’ position?
Hamas’ desire for more guarantees regarding the latest ceasefire agreement appears to be the result of a combination of self-preservation and a lack of confidence in Israel’s compliance with the timetable. fixed.
Hamas presents its amendments to the ceasefire agreement as simply a means of obtaining assurances that Israel will not simply abandon the agreement after the first phase and continue the war.
This is perhaps understandable considering the previously stated Israeli position that Hamas is totally defeated.
Unlike the Israeli position, which focuses on the “military defeat of Hamas” for what Israel sees as the elimination of an existential security threat, the Palestinian group shares the stated US goal of a permanent cessation of hostilities and a withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza. .
What will the United States do now?
Things are difficult for the United States because, having been such ardent supporters of Israel since the start of the war, it is difficult to suggest that ending the war is now the priority and that the focus should be focused on what Gaza will do after the war. look like.
Biden is stuck, with a window of opportunity to end the war in Gaza before the election season closes quickly and the United States is struggling to find a solution that ends the fighting while somehow ensuring Another is that Hamas does not remain in power, while appearing not to give up. Israel.
Some suggest that Netanyahu, behind the scenes, does indeed want a deal – which perhaps explains why the United States continues to say that the ceasefire proposal is an Israeli proposal.
Why he’s been so tight-lipped on the Israeli PM issue: With coalition ministers like Itamar Ben-Gvir threatening to overthrow the government if a deal is agreed, Netanyahu is also stuck.