Hamas’s negotiating delegation claimed that the terror group is ready to implement a ceasefire agreement based on President Biden’s original plan laid out in July but rejects any new conditions, according to their Telegram on Wednesday night.
Hamas said they were “ready immediately to implement the ceasefire agreement based on President Biden’s previous announcement and Security Council Resolution No. 2735 and what was previously agreed upon, especially the agreements of July 2, without setting any new demands, and its rejection of any new conditions on this agreement by any party.”
However, Hamas said it welcomed continuing negotiations in an effort to reach a ceasefire, the withdrawal of the IDF from the Gaza Strip and the exchange of prisoners.
The delegation, was headed by Qatar’s Prime Minister, Mohammed bin Abdel Rahman al-Thani, and the head of Egyptian intelligence, Abbas Kamal, met with the Hamas negotiation team on Wednesday evening in Doha. The meeting was headed by the deputy head of the political bureau, Khalil al-Hiya.
The purpose of the meeting was to try to break the deadlock in talks about the hostage deal and the ceasefire in Gaza, according to three sources who commented on the meeting details.
The meeting was intended to try to get Hamas to give up its new demands regarding the release of additional Palestinian prisoners serving life sentences in Israel, the sources said.
Senior American officials said that these new demands from Hamas are the main obstacle in the current negotiations.
A senior Israeli official said the negotiations are at a complete impasse and estimated that even the meeting in Doha would not lead to a breakthrough.
The US, Egypt, and Qatar are still working on a new and updated mediation proposal to present to Israel and Hamas.
During the last two weeks, according to senior American officials, the White House has become very skeptical about the possibility of reaching a deal in the immediate time frame due to the new demands of Hamas.
The White House is re-examining its strategy for the release of the hostages and a ceasefire in Gaza, and President Biden’s top aides are debating whether there is any point in presenting a new proposal, as Hamas and Israel have further hardened their positions in the negotiations.
Updated proposals
The US Secretary of State, Anthony Blinken, and the head of the CIA, Will Burns, said that the US may present a new and updated proposal in the coming days. Still, senior White House officials say such a move is not expected in the coming days.
Biden’s advisers spoke with senior officials in Qatar and Egypt several times this week. They made it clear to them that Hamas’s demand to release more prisoners serving life sentences in Israeli prisons is excessive, according to senior American officials.
Senior Israeli and American officials say that Hamas is demanding the release of 100 more prisoners in addition to the 150 prisoners that the parties have already agreed on. American officials say that this new demand is the reason for the stagnation in the talks.
The sources added that the US asked Egypt and Qatar to increase the pressure on Hamas to withdraw from its new demands.
White House spokesman John Kirby said on Tuesday that the US, Egypt, and Qatar were still trying to reach a proposal that both Israel and Hamas could agree on.
“What is not clear to us is whether we will succeed in reaching this and whether Hamas will agree to come to the negotiating table honestly and sign something,” said Kirby.
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