In addition, Hamas is demanding that Russia, China, and Turkey act as guarantors that Israel will stop fighting, according to reports Wednesday and Thursday.
Last month the Biden administration strongly pushed what it said was an Israeli proposal for a ceasefire and urged the terror group to accept the deal. The three-phase plan reportedly envisioned a full Israeli withdrawal only after an initial six-week truce during which the pullout was to be negotiated.
Hamas finally responded 12 days later, announcing Tuesday that it wanted to make “amendments.” Washington said some of the changes were “not workable” and publicly questioned if the terror group was really seeking to end the war that it started on October 7 when it led a massive attack on Israel’s south.
“Hamas has proposed numerous changes to the proposal that was on the table… Some of the changes are workable, some are not,” US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Wednesday. “We’re determined to try to bridge the gaps, and I believe those gaps are bridgeable. That doesn’t mean they will be bridged,” Blinken said.
The primary issue complicating negotiations is that Hamas is demanding an Israeli guarantee up front that it will agree to a permanent ceasefire, two officials familiar with the matter told The Times of Israel.
The Israeli proposal submitted on May 27 stopped short of this, instead requiring the sides to first agree to a six-week truce, during which some hostages would be released and the sides would hold talks on a permanent ceasefire to begin in phase two of the deal. That phase would reportedly see the release of more hostages, the establishment of a permanent ceasefire, and a full Israeli withdrawal. The third phase would include the release of bodies of hostages and agreements on the reconstruction of Gaza. Israel is also expected, as part of the deal, to release a large number Palestinian security prisoners, including many who are serving life terms for terror offenses. READ MORE
