U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s call for the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas to accept a ceasefire deal has been met with opposition, as a spokesman for Hamas declared that Blinken is “part of the problem, not the solution.” This comes in the wake of the Biden administration official urging Hamas to accept a ceasefire proposal that Israel has accepted. The United Nations Security Council had passed a resolution formalizing the administration’s proposal for a ceasefire and hostage release.
Israel agreed to the ceasefire under pressure from the U.S., while ensuring its goal of destroying Hamas’s military and governing capabilities would be met. However, Hamas has been resistant to accepting the deal, simply taking concessions offered by the United States and requesting more.
The State Department had stated that the proposal was “virtually identical” to previous proposals made by Hamas; however, Breitbart News noted at the time of the announcement that Hamas had rejected similar plans in the past. The sticking point for Hamas is the lack of an explicit guarantee that Israel would permanently cease fighting. Hamas has demanded a written assurance of a permanent ceasefire from the U.S.
In response to the UN Security Council resolution, Hamas initially welcomed it but insisted on further negotiations. On Tuesday, they issued a formal statement with additional demands, including control over the Gaza-Egypt border. This would enable Hamas to resume smuggling weapons into Gaza and rearm its forces. They also demanded changes to the timeline of Israeli troop withdrawal from the region.
Blinken criticized Hamas’s response on Wednesday, stating that numerous changes had been proposed by the group since the deal was put forth. The Secretary emphasized that a deal virtually identical to the one proposed by Hamas in May was accepted by Israel and backed by the international community. However, Hamas denied that their demands were new and criticized Blinken’s stance.
Blinken is expected to return to the United States without securing a ceasefire agreement after visiting Egypt, Israel, Jordan, and Qatar. Despite this setback, he has vowed to continue pursuing a deal with Hamas.