US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said the Palestinian independence group Hamas has proposed ‘multiple changes’ to a US-backed resolution on a Gaza ceasefire. Some of these proposals are not workable. But the mediators are determined to try for a ceasefire. Meanwhile, in an interview given to Al-Arabiya television, Hamas official Osama Hamdan denied this and said that Hamas did not make any new proposal. He reiterated Hamas’s position that Israel is rejecting the proposal. And the US administration is tuning in to its close ally.
Speaking in Doha on Wednesday with Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim al Thani, Blinken said Israel’s war in Gaza would continue as a “consequence” of Hamas’ response. Hamas has proposed several changes to the proposal on the negotiating table. We discussed them with Egyptian colleagues on Wednesday night and with the Prime Minister on Thursday. Some of these changes can be worked on; And some things are not changeable. Washington presented the plan late last month. This, they claimed at the time, would pave the way for a ‘permanent’ ceasefire in Gaza.
White House national security adviser Jack Sullivan said Hamas’ proposals for change were mostly minor and were “expected.” Others differ greatly from the plan put forward by US President Joe Biden and endorsed by the UN Security Council on Monday. Our aim is to bring this process to a conclusion. Our view is that the time for negotiation is over.
Two Egyptian security officials told Reuters that Hamas wanted written assurances from the United States about the ceasefire plan. Hamas released a statement on Wednesday night stressing its ‘positive’ attitude towards negotiating a ceasefire agreement. They called on the United States to pressure Israel to agree to a deal leading to a permanent ceasefire in Gaza, the complete withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Palestinian enclave, the reconstruction of Gaza and the release of Palestinian prisoners.
Meanwhile, Israel has been attacking Palestine’s besieged Gaza for more than eight months. The situation has led to a ‘famine-like situation’ in significant parts of Gaza. In addition to this, more than eight thousand children are suffering from malnutrition in the valley, said the head of the World Health Organization, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. 15 thousand 694 children have been killed in this ongoing war. Apart from this, there are 17 thousand children without parents. Al Jazeera, a Qatar-based media outlet, reported this information in a report on Thursday.
A significant part of Gaza now
faces catastrophic hunger and famine-like conditions, Gebreasus said on Wednesday. While there are reports of increased food supplies in the region, there is little evidence that those most in need are receiving adequate and nutritious food.