Hamas leaders on Sunday rejected a proposed cease-fire agreement hammered out in talks last week that had drawn optimism from U.S., Egypt and Qatar mediators suggesting a deal could be close.
“After being briefed by the mediators about what happened in the last round of talks in Doha, we once again came to the conclusion that (Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin) Netanyahu is still putting obstacles in the way of reaching an agreement,” Hamas said in a statement. The statement accused Netanyahu of “setting new conditions and demands with the aim of undermining the mediators’ efforts and prolonging the war.”
The Biden administration is trying to bridge gaps between Israel and Hamas on control of border crossings, the number and identity of Israeli hostages and security prisoners that would be freed and future governance of the embattled enclave. On Friday, President Joe Biden said the parties were “closer than we’ve ever been” to an agreement.
Netanyahu has consistently demanded that the remnants of the battered Hamas militant group play no role in the future of Gaza, a demand often rejected by Hamas. Any movement by Netanyahu away from that stand would jeopardize his fragile alliance with Israel’s far-right wing and could threaten his hold on the prime minister’s office.
The Hamas statement said the new proposal reflects Netanyahu’s conditions rejecting a permanent cease-fire and a comprehensive withdrawal from the Gaza Strip. Netanyahu also set new conditions in the prisoner exchange plan, the statement said.
Earlier Sunday, Netanyahu warned that Israel was standing firm on some of its demands. “We are negotiating, not giving and giving,” Netanyahu said in a social media post.
Developments:
∎ Netanyahu blamed Hamas for refusing to negotiate, noting it did not send a representative to Doha. International pressure for a deal should be directed at Hamas, not at the Israeli government, he said.
∎ The prime minister warned Iran and Lebanon-based Hezbollah, which have pledged to respond to recent assassinations in Tehran and Beirut, that Israel is prepared for every threat and will “extract a very heavy price from any enemy that dares to attack us.”
∎ At least 21 people were killed overnight in Gaza by Israeli attacks, including a mother and her six children when their house in the central city of Deir Al-Balah was struck, Palestinian health authorities said. The youngest child was 18 months old, their grandfather Mohammed Khattab told Reuters.
Blinken pitching deal aimed at truce
Secretary of State Antony Blinken returned to Israel on Sunday armed with a “bridging proposal” aimed at establishing a cease-fire in Gaza, securing the release of all hostages, ensuring humanitarian assistance is distributed throughout the territory, and creating the conditions for broader regional stability.
The Times of Israel, citing officials it said were familiar with the talks, said the proposal does not provide for an ongoing Israeli presence along the Gaza-Egypt border or a path to fully preventing the return of armed Hamas forces in Gaza, two key issues Netanyahu has demanded. Israel’s Channel 12 reported that Hamas has told negotiators it would not agree to a deal that includes those demands.
Blinken also will underscore the critical need for all parties in the region to avoid escalation or any other actions that could undermine the ability to finalize an agreement, his office said in a statement. Blinken plans to meet Monday with Netanyahu and other Israeli leaders before heading to Cairo on Tuesday for more rounds of negotiations.
Contributing: Reuters
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