Hamas demanded a 12-week long ceasefire in the negotiations to reach a deal, up from the six-week truce proposed, preventing an agreement in the talks in Cairo, CNN reported on Friday, quoting three informed sources.
In the report the network said Israel rejected the demand which it considered to be no different than an end to the war.
An official in the Biden administration said that Israel made clear its intention for maintaining the right to dismantle the remaining four Hamas battalions in Rafah and that there must be some agility allowed so that the war can continue. He also said Israel would not be able to achieve it goal if the six-week cease-fire that was agreed for the first phase of the deal would continue into the next phase which according to Hamas must see the start of a "prolonged period of calm."
The Hamas proposal, seen by CNN said each of the steps in the first phase, including a temporary lull in military activity, humanitarian aid deliveries and the withdrawal of Israeli troops, would continue into the next phase until a "sustainable calm" is announced. The senior administration officials added that the changes in the Hamas position could be because their negotiators were not in coordination with Yahya Sinwar in Gaza.
Hamas agreed at an earlier stage of the talks, to a six-week long cease-fire and the officials who spoke with the network said their current demands were a complete contradiction. An Israeli official said Israel could not agree to a 12-week lull even before any hostages are released.