Hamas rejected the Israeli proposal for the release of hostages and a cease-fire agreement after, according to the terrorist organization, "it became clear that it was fundamentally different from the proposal presented by U.S. President Joe Biden," Arab media reported Thursday morning, citing an Arabic-language explanatory memorandum distributed by the terrorist organization to the Palestinian factions. Meanwhile, Israeli officials say that they have not received an official response from the terrorist organization.
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Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh is holding out for a permanent cease-fire in Gaza
(Photos: AP, IDF Spokespersons Unit )
"After looking at the content of the Israeli proposal, it became clear that the outline that does not lay down the right foundations for the desired agreement, as it does not guarantee a permanent cease-fire, but a temporary cease-fire," the memo reportedly reads. "The three phases established are unrelated from one phase to the next, with the aim of reducing the agreement for all its phases to one phase in which aggression temporarily ceases, their forces remain in the territory of the Gaza Strip and the occupation obtains in return the hostages it is interested in, and then it will renew the war of extermination against our people."
Hamas also wrote in its explanation: "When President Biden gave his speech, the movement welcomed his words, because it provides the necessary foundations to reach an agreement that leads to a permanent cease-fire, the withdrawal of the occupation army from the Gaza Strip, and the flow of large amounts of aid, the return of the displaced, rehabilitation and exchange of prisoners. We did not hesitate to immediately announce a positive position regarding these statements, because they are in line with the outline of May 6, and contain the necessary elements. The most important of them is a permanent cease-fire and a complete withdrawal from the Gaza Strip."
Hamas claims that the Israeli proposal includes things that were not in the outline presented by the U.S. president. "There was a difference between the proposal and what Biden stated, which caused a dispute as to whether he was talking about his personal interpretations of the proposal, or verbal agreements with Israeli officials."
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US PResident Joe Biden announces the latest Israeli cease-fire proposal at the White House
(Photo: Evan Vucci/AP)
On Wednesday, the leader of Hamas' political bureau, Ismail Haniyeh, said that the terrorist organization is ready to discuss in a "serious and positive" manner any agreement based on a complete end to the war and an Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip. In a statement he published, Haniyeh added that "Hamas is conducting the negotiations armed with this position, which represents the will of the Palestinian people and their courageous resistance."
The Wall Street Journal reported yesterday on the pressure exerted by Biden to establish a deal between Israel and Hamas, and on the fact that he sent two senior officials in his administration to the Middle East. According to the report, the CIA head Bill Burns is currently in Doha, the capital of Qatar, and the president's special envoy for the region, Barack McGurk, landed in Egypt on Wednesday. According to the report, the talks in Qatar and Cairo will focus on negotiations for a deal, and also on the Biden administration's efforts to reopen the Rafah crossing.