Less than a week after President Biden's contentious press conference, in which he framed a proposed ceasefire deal as originating from Israel, Hamas has outright rejected the proposal, claiming that Biden's offer does not align with Israel's actual submission.
According to Saudi news outlet Asharq Al Awsat, citing sources within Hamas, the terrorist group expressed significant pessimism on Thursday morning regarding the possibility of reaching an agreement for a ceasefire and the release of hostages.
This “position” against Israel’s latest ceasefire proposal is total nonsense. The war ends today if Hamas disarms and frees the innocent hostages it abducted on October 7.
— Israel War Room (@IsraelWarRoom) June 6, 2024
The only thing Hamas wants to guarantee is its survival and power over Gaza. https://t.co/e4UdsmPHYK pic.twitter.com/rwFtjuzOL2
Effectively, Hamas has dismissed President Joe Biden’s offer from last Friday, which both he and administration officials asserted was congruent with Israel's proposal. Hamas contends that Israel’s proposal diverges from the outline presented by Biden, particularly concerning the transition between phase one and phase two of the deal. On Wednesday, the leader of Hamas stated that the group would demand a permanent end to the war in Gaza and Israeli withdrawal as part of any ceasefire plan—conditions that were not included in the Israeli offer.
Asharq Al Awsat reported obtaining an internal document delivered Thursday to representatives of the terrorist factions in Gaza. This document indicated that the Israeli proposal does not align with Biden's outline, based on talks with mediating countries. Hamas emphasized to the factions that Israel is only interested in implementing the first phase of the deal—releasing civilian women, children, and adult hostages—while avoiding a commitment to withdraw from the Gaza Strip and end the war.
So, Gaza is in such desperate need of a ceasefire that Hamas REJECTS a ceasefire deal because it doesn't fit their requirements.
— Ridvan Aydemir | Apostate Prophet (@ApostateProphet) June 6, 2024
Hamas clarified, as many Israeli pundits on the right have noted, that the outline presented by Biden largely aligns with the demands Hamas made a month ago. However, there is a discrepancy between the document the Americans submitted, which they claimed represented Israel’s stance, and the actual Israeli proposal. Hamas is concerned that Israel seeks to maintain the option to renew the war. In fact, President Biden in his remarks made it clear that the ceasefire deal will not hinder Israel's intention of eliminating Hamas from the strip and that in a post-war Gaza, Hamas will not be involved.
In recent talks in Doha, Qatar, involving CIA Chief William Burns, Hamas representatives asked Qatar and Egypt to verify whether the Biden outline truly represents Israel's proposal or is merely a White House interpretation. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also suggested that Biden’s presentation of his position was inaccurate.
.@StateDeptSpox Matthew Miller: "The roadblock right now to a ceasefire is not Israel, the roadblock to a ceasefire is Hamas." pic.twitter.com/oeqtfztJIS
— AIPAC (@AIPAC) June 3, 2024
As a result, Hamas demanded that the US, Egypt, and Qatar sign on as guarantors to ensure Israel adheres to Biden’s so-called "Israeli" proposal. The remarks by Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh seemed to convey the group's response to the proposal Biden unveiled last week. Washington had indicated it was awaiting a response from Hamas to what Biden described as an Israeli initiative.
"The movement and factions of the resistance will engage seriously and positively with any agreement that is based on a comprehensive end to the aggression, complete withdrawal, and a prisoner swap,” Haniyeh said.
Hey, 'ceasefire now' crowd
— David Collier (@mishtal) June 6, 2024
Hamas have just rejected yet another ceasefire deal...
Go stick that between your river and your sea.
Washington continues to push hard to secure an agreement. CIA Director William Burns met with senior officials from mediators Qatar and Egypt on Wednesday in Doha to discuss the ceasefire proposal. Despite a brief week-long truce in November, all attempts to arrange a ceasefire have failed. Hamas remains steadfast in its demand for a permanent end to the conflict, while Israel is only willing to discuss temporary pauses until the militant group is defeated.
