The US hopes the group will accept a deal that would “benefit” Palestinian hostages and civilians
April 9 (EUROPA PRESS) –
The Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) assured this early Tuesday morning that it is studying the proposal for a ceasefire and hostage exchange presented by Israel, although it has accused the Israeli side of “remaining stubborn” in its positions.
“Although we appreciate the efforts of the mediators and our willingness to reach an agreement, the occupation's stance remains stubborn,” reads a statement from the Islamist group shared by the Palestinian news agency Maan News, which is related to Hamas.
Despite its criticism of the proposal, Hamas is studying the proposal “with all national responsibility,” and has reported that it will send its response to the mediators once they finish examining it.
Shortly before, US officials had expressed their “hope” that the Palestinian group would accept the agreement they had “on the table.”
Both State Department spokesman Matthew Miller and White House Homeland Security spokesman John Kirby have stated in their respective press conferences that they are currently awaiting a response from Hamas.
“The current situation is that a proposal has been submitted to Hamas and we are waiting for its response. As you all know from our previous follow-up, Hamas' response to a specific proposal, in one sense or another, can often take a while. several days, due to the nature of the communications with them,” Kirby explained.
Miller, for his part, stated that this ceasefire “would be beneficial not only for the hostages, but also for the Palestinian people, who are suffering enormously,” and that Israel has shown its willingness to reach an agreement.
This proposal has come after the last indirect talks with Israel, held in Cairo (Egypt) on Sunday, and in which both parties had already shown their differences, and that is that Hamas continues to insist on a permanent ceasefire, the withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza and the right of return of those displaced by the offensive, something rejected by the Israeli authorities.
