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fullscreen Israeli military vehicles. Archive image. Photo: Tsafrir Abayov/AP/TT
Labeled as a terrorist, Hamas calls on the US to “pressure” Israel to accept a permanent ceasefire in Gaza. At the same time, the US states that Hamas has come up with new counter-demands in the negotiations.
Terror-labeled Hamas noted in a statement Wednesday night that while the United States said Israel had accepted the cease-fire plan presented by President Joe Biden on May 31, no such confirmation had been communicated directly from Israel.
Hamas, in turn, has demanded “majority” changes in the proposal, said US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who traveled to Doha in mediation Qatar, on Wednesday.
He did not specify what the demands were, but stated that some were ones that Hamas had accepted in previous talks.
– The longer this is allowed to continue, the more people will suffer, so the bargaining must end now, Blinken said on Wednesday and emphasized that the mediators must continue working until an agreement is reached.
The UN Security Council on Monday called on Israel and Hamas to accept the proposal fully and unconditionally.
FACTS First six-week truce
The ceasefire proposal on the table consists of three phases.
The first applies for six weeks and involves a complete ceasefire, the withdrawal of Israeli forces from “all populated areas of the Gaza Strip” and the exchange of a number of hostages for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners.
Phase two is dependent on the parties first agreeing on “necessary arrangements”. But if that happens, it would mean a permanent end to the fighting, the release of all remaining living hostages and the withdrawal of all Israeli forces from the Gaza Strip.
In the third phase, the remains of hostages who are no longer alive must also be returned and a comprehensive reconstruction plan launched.
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