The U.S. State Department on Tuesday rejected claims by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that the vote on a resolution calling for a cease-fire in Gaza has hurt efforts to free Israeli hostages held by Hamas.
State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller said Hamas had delivered its response to mediators before the vote which the U.S. declined to veto and referred to the prime minister's comments as "unfair."
"Hamas's stance clearly demonstrates its utter disinterest in a negotiated deal and attests to the damage done by the UN Security Council's resolution, " the Prime Minister's Office said in a statement.
"Hamas has once again rejected an American compromise proposal and has repeated its extreme demands: An immediate halt to the war, the complete withdrawal of the IDF from the Gaza Strip and leaving in place its administration so that it can repeat, time and again, the massacre of October 7, as it has promised to do," the statement said.
"Israel will not address Hamas's delusional demands. Israel will pursue and achieve its just war objectives: Destroying Hamas's military and governmental capacities, release of all the hostages, and ensuring Gaza will not pose a threat to the people of Israel in the future," the statement concluded.
In his briefing, Miller reiterated the United States' position that Israel has the right to defend itself against Hamas and rejected any suggestion that Hamas should be allowed to remain in power or play any role in the governing of Gaza. He said Hamas bears some of the responsibility for the plight of Gazan civilians.