Hamas Calls for Implementation of Ceasefire Proposal Unveiled by Biden

The US claimed Israel accepted the proposal, but Netanyahu added new demands to sabotage the deal

On Sunday, Hamas released a statement calling for the implementation of a hostage and ceasefire deal with Israel that was previously unveiled by President Biden.

President Biden unveiled the proposal on May 31, and it was backed by the UN Security Council in a resolution passed on June 10. The proposal is for a three-phase deal that, if fully implemented, would permanently end Israeli military operations in Gaza.

Biden claimed the proposal was approved by Israel, but Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected the idea of a permanent ceasefire and Israeli withdrawal from Gaza. He later added new demands as a way to sabotage the chances of a deal being reached.

Hamas said that it wanted to implement the deal instead of restarting hostage negotiations to discuss new proposals, which the Palestinian group said would “provide cover for the occupation’s aggression.”

Hamas said that it “demands that the mediators present a plan to implement what they proposed to the movement… based on Biden’s vision and the UN Security Council resolution, and compel the occupation to comply.”

The demand from Hamas came after the US, and the mediating countries — Qatar and Egypt — released a statement calling for Israel and Hamas to resume negotiations. The talks had been suspended since Israel killed Hamas’s political chief, Ismail Haniyeh, in Tehran. Haniyeh has been replaced by Yahya Sinwar, the group’s leader in Gaza.

Qatar and Egypt believe that Israel won’t agree to a ceasefire deal unless there is real pressure from the US, which has refused to use its significant leverage over Israel. The US has not publicly blamed Netanyahu for the lack of an agreement, even though Israeli officials and media outlets have widely acknowledged that his demands were thwarting a deal.

Author: Dave DeCamp

Dave DeCamp is the news editor of Antiwar.com, follow him on Twitter @decampdave.