"Time for the haggling to stop": Blinken says Hamas didn't accept ceasefire deal
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Blinken on Wednesday during a visit to Qatar. Photo: Ibraheem Al-Omari/Pool via Getty
Secretary of State Tony Blinken said Wednesday that Hamas has not accepted the U.S.-backed proposal for a hostage and ceasefire deal and presented "numerous changes" that go beyond its previous positions.
Why it matters: The U.S. and international mediators see the proposal as the best chance to end eight months of war. About 120 hostages are still being held by Hamas in Gaza and more than 37,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israel in the war in Gaza, according to local health authorities.
Driving the news: Hamas sent its response to the proposal to Egyptian and Qatari mediators on Tuesday evening.
- Israeli officials said on Tuesday that Hamas effectively rejected the proposal, which President Biden presented in a speech 12 days ago.
- The Israeli government originally put forward the proposal. Blinken on Tuesday stated that he's confident Israel will commit to it — despite apparent opposition from some hard-right members of the government — if Hamas does.
- On Wednesday, Blinken stopped short of defining Hamas' response as a rejection, but made clear it wasn't what the U.S. wanted to hear.
What he's saying: Speaking from Doha after meeting with the Prime Minister of Qatar, Blinken said: "Hamas proposed numerous changes to the proposal that was on the table. Some of the changes are workable and some are not."
- He argued the deal currently under discussion is almost identical to the one Hamas itself proposed on May 6. "It was a deal that Israel accepted and the world was behind. Hamas could have answered with a single word: 'yes.'"
- "Instead, they waited almost two weeks and then proposed more changes, a number of which go beyond positions it has previously presented and agreed to. As a result, the war will go on and more people will suffer," Blinken said.
- "It's time for the haggling to stop and the ceasefire to start. Israel accepted the proposal as it is, Hamas didn't. It is clear what needs to happen," he said.
- National security adviser Jake Sullivan said later Wednesday that "many of the proposed changes in Hamas' response are minor and not unanticipated. Others differ more substantially from what was outlined in the UN security council resolution" endorsing the deal, which passed on Tuesday.
The other side: Several hours after Blinken's press conference, Hamas issued a statement rejecting his comments and claiming it has negotiated in good faith.
- "We took the positive approach necessary to reach an agreement…we reacted positively to Biden's speech but at the same time we heard nothing from [Israeli PM Benjamin] Netanyahu except an intention to continue the war," the group said.
- Hamas said in its statement that no Israeli official welcomed or accepted the UN Security Council's resolution about the deal.
- "The Netanyahu government continued to refuse any permanent ceasefire, contrary to the Security Council's resolution. Blinken said that Israel agreed to the latest proposal but we have not heard such agreement from any senior Israeli official. We call on Blinken and the Biden administration to put pressure on the Israeli government," Hamas said.
What's next: Blinken added the U.S., Qatar and Egypt will continue working in the coming days to get a deal and said he thinks some of the gaps can be bridged.
