6/15/2024–|Last updated: 6/15/202411:39 PM (Mecca time)
US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan announced – on Saturday – that Washington had presented its opinion regarding the response of the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas), stressing that some of the movement’s amendments could be dealt with, while the occupation army stated that not all detainees could be returned through military operations.
Sullivan said – on the sidelines of the peace summit on Ukraine in Switzerland – that the next step is for mediators to contact the movement, stressing that American officials are in close contact with Israeli negotiators and Qatari and Egyptian mediators.
He explained that there were amendments requested by Hamas to the ceasefire proposal that were not expected and could be dealt with, and some of them contradict the proposal of US President Joe Biden and the Security Council resolution, stressing that “there is still a way to reach an agreement.”
He also stated that the Qatari and Egyptian mediators intend to communicate with Hamas leaders soon to find out if there is a way to move forward with the ceasefire proposal in Gaza put forward by Biden.
He added that he will speak on Sunday with the Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdul Rahman Al Thani about the future of the potential deal while they are in Switzerland to attend the Ukraine conference.
In Israel, occupation army spokesman Daniel Hagari said that the return of all detainees in the Gaza Strip would not be through military operations, without clearly indicating the possibility of returning them through a deal.
Hamas amendments
Last Tuesday, the Palestinian resistance factions handed over to the mediators the response to the three-stage Israeli proposal presented by Biden at the end of last May.
Subsequently, the US administration accused Hamas of obstructing reaching an agreement, saying that “Hamas’ conditions cannot be implemented,” referring to the movement’s demand to declare a permanent ceasefire, which is rejected by Israel, which insists on returning its detainees before ending the war.
Although US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said that Israel agrees to the proposal presented by Biden, no official Israeli statement was issued regarding this, which prompted Hamas to demand Israeli clarity and American positivity regarding the deal and negotiations.
Hamas had clarified through one of its leaders, in statements to Reuters, that the amendments it requested were “not significant” and included the complete withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Gaza Strip, and assurances of Israel’s agreement to end the war, and not to return to fighting after the end of the first phase of the truce.
The movement also had reservations about the Israeli paper excluding 100 Palestinian prisoners with high sentences that 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.
Since the end of the previous truce at the beginning of last December, the indirect negotiations between Hamas and Israel have faced many obstacles, as a result of the occupation’s insistence on continuing its aggression under the pretext of “achieving the goals of the war, recovering detainees, and achieving progress in the talks through military pressure.”