US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said some of the changes proposed by Hamas to the US proposal for a truce in Gaza are “not viable”, but efforts to reach an agreement continue.
Speaking from Doha alongside Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani on Wednesday, Blinken said Israel’s war in Gaza will continue “as a result” of Hamas’ response.
“Hamas proposed numerous changes to the proposal that was on the table. We discussed these changes last night with Egyptian colleagues and today with the prime minister,” Blinken said. “Some of the changes are feasible. Some are not.”
Washington presented the plan late last month, saying it would lead to a “durable” ceasefire in Gaza.
Hamas on Tuesday presented its response together with Palestinian Islamic Jihad, describing it as “responsible” and “positive”.
“The response prioritizes the interest of our Palestinian people, the need to completely stop the ongoing aggression in Gaza and the withdrawal [of Israeli forces] from across the Gaza Strip,” the group said in a statement.
When US President Joe Biden announced the multi-phase proposal on May 31, he said it would include the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza and a permanent cessation of hostilities.
The discrepancy between Hamas’ position and the US proposal is unclear. On Tuesday, Blinken openly blamed the Palestinian group for the failure to reach a deal.
“An agreement was on the table that was virtually identical to a proposal presented by Hamas on May 6 – an agreement that the entire world supports, an agreement that Israel accepted. And Hamas could have responded with a single word: yes,” Blinken said.
“Instead, Hamas waited nearly two weeks and then proposed more changes, some of which go beyond the positions it had previously taken and accepted.”
Israel rejected the plan that Hamas agreed to in early May, and the Israeli government has not publicly supported the agreement with the US.
In his press conference with Blinken, Qatar’s Sheikh Mohammed said negotiations to bridge the gap between the parties will continue.
“This is not about new efforts or negotiation dynamics. There is always space and ‘give and take’. After all, these are negotiations to reach an agreement. There is no absolute answer – yes or no,” he said.
Qatar’s prime minister has called for a “sustainable solution” to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict that would see the establishment of a Palestinian state based on the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital.
Blinken also emphasized the need for a “durable” peace and the construction of a “more integrated, more stable and more prosperous” Middle East.
“Throughout what is now my eighth visit to the region since October 7, everyone I have engaged with has made it clear that this is the path they want to follow,” said the top US diplomat.
“Now, I cannot speak for Hamas or answer for Hamas. And ultimately, it may not be the path Hamas wants to take, but Hamas cannot and will not be allowed to decide the future of this region and its people.”
The Biden administration and Arab countries have called for a two-state solution to the conflict, but Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has categorically rejected the creation of a Palestinian state.
“I will not compromise full Israeli security control over the entire area in western Jordan – and this is contrary to a Palestinian state,” Netanyahu said in a social media post in January.
Washington, which previously vetoed three United Nations Security Council resolutions that would have called for a ceasefire in Gaza, provides $3.8 billion in military aid to Israel annually.
Earlier this year, Biden signed $14 billion in additional assistance to Israel as it seeks what it calls “total victory” against Hamas.
Meanwhile, the Biden administration has been pressuring Netanyahu’s government to present a plan for post-war Gaza.
On Wednesday, Blinken said the US will soon present its own vision for Gaza after the conflict.
“In the coming weeks, we will present proposals for key elements of the day-ahead plan, including concrete ideas on how to manage governance, security, [and] reconstruction,” he said. “This plan is fundamental to transforming a ceasefire into a lasting end to the conflict.”
This story originally appeared on Aljazeera.com read the full story
