Middle East Crisis: Blinken Calls Some Hamas Changes to Cease-Fire Proposal ‘Unacceptable’
Middle East Crisis: Blinken Calls Some Hamas Changes to Cease-Fire Proposal ‘Unacceptable’
The secretary of state said the U.S. would keep pushing Israel and Hamas ‘on an urgent basis’ to reach a deal.
Speaking at a news conference in Doha, Qatar, alongside Qatar’s prime minister and minister of foreign affairs, Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, Mr. Blinken said that “a deal was on the table that was virtually identical” to one that Hamas put forward on May 6.
At some point, he said, “you have to question whether they’re proceeding in good faith or not.”
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What are the specific demands Hamas has made that Blinken finds unacceptable?
According to the reports, Secretary of State Antony Blinken finds some of Hamas's latest demands regarding the proposed cease-fire agreement unacceptable, though the specific demands are not explicitly stated. However, we can infer a few key sticking points from the information provided:
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Hamas insists on a permanent cease-fire and complete Israeli withdrawal from Gaza before releasing the remaining hostages, while Israel aims to dismantle Hamas's military capabilities first.[1]
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Hamas fears that if it releases hostages during the initial six-week phase of the plan, Israel may resume hostilities once its most vulnerable captives are released.[1]
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Hamas has rejected key elements of the UN-backed truce deal that Israel had previously agreed to.[5][3]
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Hamas demands an end to the ongoing Israeli aggression and siege on Gaza as a precondition for entering into negotiations for a "complete agreement" that includes a comprehensive prisoner exchange deal.[5]
So while the specific unacceptable demands are not explicitly stated, Blinken seems to take issue with Hamas's insistence on permanent concessions upfront before any phased implementation, as well as their rejection of elements already agreed upon in the proposed deal.[1][3][5]
Citations: [1] Hamas Made Unacceptable Changes to Cease-Fire Plan, Blinken ... https://www.nytimes.com/video/world/middleeast/100000009517335/blinken-gaza-israel-hamas-cease-fire.html [2] Blinken Casts Doubt on Cease-Fire Hopes After Hamas Responds https://www.bloomberg.com/tosv2.html?url=L25ld3MvYXJ0aWNsZXMvMjAyNC0wNi0xMi9ibGlua2VuLXNheXMtaGFtYXMtcy1jZWFzZS1maXJlLXJlc3BvbnNlLW1lYW5zLXdhci13aWxsLWNvbnRpbnVl&uuid=142470c8-28be-11ef-b9fe-c854ea576c23 [3] Hamas response to peace deal unworkable, warns Blinken https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2024/06/12/hamas-response-to-peace-deal-unworkable-warns-blinken/ [4] Blinken Says Hamas's Cease-Fire Response Means War Will ... https://www.bnnbloomberg.ca/blinken-says-hamas-s-cease-fire-response-means-war-will-continue-1.2084228 [5] Hamas says it will not enter negotiations unless Israel stops war on ... https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/5/30/hamas-says-it-will-not-enter-negotiations-unless-israel-stops-war-on-gaza
Including the resolution text:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Nations_Security_Council_Resolution_2735
The Security Council,
Reaffirming the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations,
Recalling all its relevant resolutions on the situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question,
Underscoring the importance of the ongoing diplomatic efforts by Egypt, Qatar, and the United States aimed at reaching a comprehensive ceasefire deal, consisting of three phases,
- Welcomes the new ceasefire proposal announced on May 31, which Israel accepted, calls upon Hamas to also accept it, and urges both parties to fully implement its terms without delay and without condition;
- Notes that the implementation of this proposal would enable the following outcomes to spread over three phases:
(a) Phase 1: an immediate, full, and complete ceasefire with the release of hostages including women, the elderly and the wounded, the return of the remains of some hostages who have been killed, the exchange of Palestinian prisoners, withdrawal of Israeli forces from the populated areas in Gaza, the return of Palestinian civilians to their homes and neighborhoods in all areas of Gaza, including in the north, as well as the safe and effective distribution of humanitarian assistance at scale throughout the Gaza Strip to all Palestinian civilians who need it, including housing units delivered by the international community;
(b) Phase 2: upon agreement of the parties, a permanent end to hostilities, in exchange for the release of all other hostages still in Gaza, and a full withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza; and
(c) Phase 3: the start of a major multi-year reconstruction plan for Gaza and the return of the remains of any deceased hostages still in Gaza to their families;
- Underlines that the proposal says if the negotiations take longer than six weeks for phase one, the ceasefire will still continue as long as negotiations continue, and welcomes the readiness of the United States, Egypt, and Qatar to work to ensure negotiations keep going until all the agreements are reached and phase two is able to begin;
- Stresses the importance of the parties adhering to the terms of this proposal once agreed and calls upon all Member States and the United Nations to support its implementation;
- Rejects any attempt at demographic or territorial change in the Gaza Strip, including any actions that reduce the territory of Gaza;
- Reiterates its unwavering commitment to the vision of the two-State solution where two democratic States, Israel and Palestine, live side by side in peace within secure and recognized borders, consistent with international law and relevant UN resolutions, and in this regard stresses the importance of unifying the Gaza Strip with the West Bank under the Palestinian Authority;
- Decides to remain seized of the matter.
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