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  • 17 Sep, 2024

Blinken finds some Hamas modifications to the Gaza ceasefire plan impractical.

Blinken finds some Hamas modifications to the Gaza ceasefire plan impractical.

Qatari PM Sheikh Mohammed mentions ongoing ceasefire talks with potential for compromise to reach an accord.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said some amendments proposed by Hamas to the proposed US truce in Gaza were "unworkable" but that efforts to reach an agreement continue.

Speaking in Doha on Wednesday alongside Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, Blinken said Israel's war against the Gaza Strip would continue "because of" Hamas' response. "Hamas proposes a lot of changes in the table sentence. Last night we talked about these changes with the Egyptian colleagues and the Prime Minister today. "Several changes work. Not so."

Washington presented a plan at the end of last month, saying that this would lead to the end of gas gas. Hamas presented its response on Tuesday in collaboration with Palestinian Islamic Jihad, describing it as "responsible" and "proactive."

The group said in a press release that "this response prioritizes the interests of the Palestinian people, the need for a complete halt to the ongoing aggression in Gaza, and the need for the withdrawal of (Israeli forces) from the entire Gaza Strip." When U.S. President Joe Biden announced his multi-phase proposal on May 31, he said it would include a withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza and a permanent halt to fighting.

The differences between Hamas' position and the U.S. proposal are unclear. On Tuesday, Blinken directly blamed Palestinian groups for the failure to reach an agreement:

"We had a deal on the table that was almost identical to the proposal that Hamas put forward on May 6 -- a deal that the whole world supported and that Israel accepted," he said. And Hamas was able to answer in one word: yes, "said Brinken.

"Instead, Hamas has been waiting for almost two weeks, and has provided more changes. Some of them have exceeded the positions he has previously held and accepted."

Hamas flashes

Hamas Taha Allinen's official Hamasha -Al Nan was accused of prejudice, and the major American diplomat said he had acting as if he was the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Israel from the beginning of the war. Ta.

“He lacks neutrality. He lacks even-handedness. "He is acting according to double standards. He is trying to portray the (Palestinian) resistance as if it is a party that is blocking the agreement," Al-Nunu Mubasher told us late Wednesday. He said Hamas had accepted the proposal put forward by Qatar and Egypt on May 6 as is, and that it was Israel that made amendments. Al-Nunu said Hamas' response on Tuesday was a counter-amendment to some of the Israeli changes. According to Arnun, Hamas's memo aimed to resume the war after the first stage, and to release some of the POWs in Gaza during the first stage.

In response to questions whether Hamas is flexible in connection with the requirements of "not functioning," Arnonu said for "normal" negotiations to accept or refuse proposals. Qatar's Emir Mohammed said at a news conference with Blinken that differences between the two countries would continue to be resolved through consultations.

"This is not a new initiative or a new negotiating dynamic. There is always a place and give and take. "In the end, these are negotiations on the achievement of an agreement. "There's no clear-cut yes or no answer," he said.

"In my eighth visit to the region since October 7, everyone I've spoken to has made it clear that this is the path they want to follow," a senior U.S. diplomat said. “Now I can’t speak for Hamas or answer for Hamas. And, ultimately, this may not be the path that Hamas wants to continue, but Hamas cannot and will not be allowed to decide the future for this region and its people. ”

The Biden administration and the Arab countries are calling for a conflict with two states, but Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu categorically rejected the creation of the Palestinian state. "I will not compromise on full Israeli security control over all of western Jordan, which is antithetical to a Palestinian state," Netanyahu said in a social media post in January.

The U.S. government, which has vetoed three U.N. Security Council resolutions calling for a ceasefire in Gaza, provides Israel with $3.8 billion in annual military aid. Earlier this year, Biden signed a deal to provide Israel with $14 billion in additional aid as he seeks "total victory" against Hamas.

Meanwhile, the Biden administration is pressuring Netanyahu's government to present a plan for the post-war Gaza Strip. Blinken said Wednesday that the United States would soon lay out its own vision for a post-conflict Gaza.

"In the coming weeks, we will present proposals on key elements of a next-day plan, including specific ideas on how to manage governance, security and reconstruction," he said. “This plan is essential to transform the ceasefire into a lasting end to the conflict. »