Tel Aviv: Ceasefire talks in Gaza hit a snag after Israel described Hamas' response to the latest proposal as a 'rejection', precipitating a blame game between the two sides, CNN reported. Hamas submitted its response through Qatari mediators, which included proposed amendments to the Israeli proposal, a source cited by the news outlet said.
Talks are expected to continue via the Qatari and Egyptian mediators in coordination with the United States to see if an agreement can be reached. After submitting its response this week, Hamas spokesman and political bureau member Osama Hamdan told Lebanon-based TV Al Mayadeen, the group was committed to achieving a ceasefire.
"Our response is a clear reaffirmation of our commitment to the ceasefire and withdrawal from Gaza, a commitment we have consistently upheld," Hamdan added. But, one Israeli official while speaking to CNN described Hamas' response to the original deal as a 'rejection.'
"Israel received Hamas' response. Hamas rejected the proposal for a hostage deal, which was laid out by President Biden in his speech," CNN quoted the source. Hamas leadership pushed back against the claim, terming it Israel's attempt to back out of the proposal.
Notably, this comes on the heels of US Secretary of State Antony Blinken's visit to the Middle East trying to secure an agreement on the plan first unveiled by President Joe Biden.
Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu is caught between conflicting voices in his country. While a group believes that a ceasefire deal is the best way to secure the release of the 120 hostages still held by Hamas in Gaza, his extreme right coalition partners are adamant they want the war to continue.
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Israeli Minister Benny Gantz quit the government against Prime Minister Benjamin Netnayahu’s policy on the war in Gaza. In a speech, he said: “Regrettably, Netanyahu is preventing us from advancing towards true victory, which is the justification for the ongoing painful cost (of war). That is why we are leaving the emergency government today, with a heavy heart but with full confidence.” Gantz also called for national elections to be held later this year.
