Hamas on Tuesday stood down in protest against international pressure to accept the proposed three-phase offer, insisting that any proposal that failed to promise a permanent ceasefire from the outset was “not a deal “
Qatar-based Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh declined to comment about the death of his sister during an IDF airstrike in Gaza and accused Israel of deliberately focusing on him to put pressure on the crowd.
“If (Israel) thinks that targeting my family will change our position or that of the resistance, they are delusional,” he said.
He spoke as Qatar and Egypt continued their efforts toward a resolution; Debate continues in Israel over the three-phase plan, which US President Joe Biden first unveiled on May 31.
US order branch spokesman Matthew Miller told reporters in Washington that Hamas sent a written response to the proposal several weeks ago. That response “rejected the proposal that was put forward by Israel, (which) was outlined by President Biden,” he said.
Miller reminded that the joint International Space Security Council had approved the proposal.
In this proposal, the issue of a permanent ceasefire, a stable level between Israel and Hamas, until the second part would be behind schedule. It announced a first phase, during which negotiations on a permanent ceasefire would continue, with about 33 hostages being freed in exchange for an immediate cessation of hostilities.
The lack of a deal was a major theme on Defense Minister Yoav Galant’s agenda during talks with his US counterpart Lloyd Austin at the Pentagon on Tuesday in Washington. ,
Austin asked Hamas to accept the proposal. “The onus is on Hamas to accept this roadmap for a permanent end to this war,” he said.
“Hamas’s failure to accept this important resolution is exacerbating the suffering of Palestinian citizens and Israeli citizens,” he said.
“Israel recently conducted a courageous operation to rescue four hostages unjustly held by Hamas in Gaza. We will not rest until all the hostages reach home safely. Including American citizens,” Austin said. He mentioned 8 hostages with dual Israeli-American citizenship, 5 of whom are believed to still be alive.
Austin, other officials call on Israel to join mediation to get hostages back
“The only way to bring them (hostages) back home is through principled diplomacy. We must not miss this moment, and we must not risk indefinite war or insurgency,” he said.
In Israel, at the 21st Herzliya conference, the country’s national security assistant, Tzachi Hanegbi, spoke about the usefulness of supporting the resolution.
“We need to stand strongly behind this, together with the entire world,” he said, adding that it was beginning the process of bringing back an additional 120 hostages.
Hanegbi’s words were a simple dig at Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who said Sunday he partially supports the proposal, and those in the government who have vocally opposed it, such as Finance Minister Bezalel. Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir.
Netanyahu then backed down in the Knesset plenum, pledging his support for the resolution and acknowledging that it was indeed an Israeli proposal.
Hanegbi said Tuesday that “time is working against the hostages,” which is why the problem needs to be prioritized. Saying that he was among those who agreed that it was possible to take the oath, even though almost an hour had passed and Hamas had not approved the proposal.
“I think given the tremendous international pressure on Hamas today, it is likely that it will do something,” Hanegbi said. He cited the joint International Security Council response to support the resolution, noting that even countries that generally sided with Hamas had supported the solution or were against it. Was not banned.
The response, he said, was “in response to the Israeli proposal for a deal that Biden adopted.”
“There is tremendous pressure on Qatar. And it is also putting pressure on the Hamas leadership in Qatar to accept this agreement,” Hanegbi said. “It is possible that both regional and global forces will be effective,” he said.
Hanegbi recalled that he had just returned from Washington, where he and Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer met at the last minute with US officials, including US National Security Assistant Jake Sullivan and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
“We had a very intimate conversation that focused on the hostage issue,” Hanegbi said. “Our belief is that the U.S. commitment to the agreement is 100%,” Hanegbi said.
Reuters contributed to this record.
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