U.S. State Secretary Antony Blinken stated on Wednesday that Hamas had proposed numerous changes, some unworkable, to a U.S.-backed ceasefire proposal with Israel in Gaza.
However, mediators remain committed to closing the gaps. Contrarily, senior Hamas official Osama Hamdan denied these claims, insisting that it was Israel, not Hamas, rejecting proposals and accusing the U.S. of siding with Israel.
White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan acknowledged that many of Hamas' proposed changes were minor and expected, but some significantly differed from the U.N. Security Council resolution supporting U.S. President Joe Biden's plan.Sullivan emphasized the urgency of concluding the process and ending the haggling.
Hamas is seeking written guarantees from the U.S. on the ceasefire plan, according to two Egyptian security sources. In a statement late Wednesday, Hamas expressed positivity in the negotiations and urged the U.S. to pressure Israel into accepting a permanent ceasefire, full withdrawal from Gaza, reconstruction, and the release of Palestinian prisoners.
While U.S. officials claim Israel has accepted Biden's May 31 ceasefire proposal, Hamas stated no Israeli official has confirmed this acceptance.
Biden's proposal includes a truce and phased release of Israeli hostages in Gaza in exchange for Palestinians jailed in Israel, aiming for a permanent end to the conflict.
At a press conference in Doha, Blinken noted that some counter-proposals from Hamas sought to amend previously accepted terms. Blinken criticized Hamas for not giving a straightforward answer and instead proposing new changes after nearly two weeks.
Hamas responded by asserting its readiness to cooperate while accusing Israel of non-cooperation. The group criticized Blinken's stance as aligning with U.S. policies they claim support Israel's actions against Palestinians.
Despite U.S. claims of Israel's acceptance, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has maintained that Israel will not stop its campaign until Hamas is eliminated. Major powers are working to defuse the conflict to prevent a wider Middle East war, with rising tensions along the Lebanese-Israeli border being a particular concern.
The conflict began on October 7, when Hamas-led militants crossed into Israel, killing 1,200 Israelis and taking over 250 hostages. Since then, Israel's air and ground assaults have resulted in over 37,000 Palestinian deaths, according to Gaza's health ministry, and displaced most of Gaza's 2.3 million population, severely damaging housing and infrastructure.
The head of the World Health Organization reported severe hunger and malnutrition among Gaza's population, with over 8,000 children under five diagnosed with acute malnutrition.
A U.N. inquiry found both Israel and Hamas committed war crimes, with Israel's actions also constituting crimes against humanity due to significant civilian casualties. Amid diplomatic efforts for a ceasefire, Israel continued heavy assaults on central and southern Gaza, causing multiple deaths and extensive destruction.