Hamas has condemned claims by US President Joe Biden that it was backing away from a Gaza truce deal, calling his remarks a “green light” for Israel to continue the war in the besieged enclave which has so far claimed the lives of more than 40,000.
The “misleading claims… do not reflect the true position of the movement, which is keen to reach a ceasefire” agreement, the Palestinian group said in a statement.
It called Biden’s remarks – which were made on Tuesday as the US president prepared to leave Chicago after a keynote address to the Democratic National Convention – an “American green light for the Zionist extremist government to commit more crimes against defenceless civilians”.
The statement came as US Secretary of State Antony Blinken was in Egypt Tuesday for talks on a Gaza ceasefire.
Hamas stated Biden’s remarks reflect a clear “American bias” towards Israel and Washington’s complicity in the “war of extermination against defenceless civilians in the Gaza Strip”.
The group added it is committed to a ceasefire framework outlined by Biden on May 31 which he said had been proposed by Israel.
It described the latest US modifications to that plan as “a coup against” the previous framework, accusing Washington of “acquiescing” to conditions set by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
“Netanyahu was always the one obstructing an agreement and setting new conditions and demands,” Hamas said, calling on “the US administration to reverse its policy of blind bias towards the Zionist war criminals.”
It urged the “mediators to assume their responsibilities” and oblige Israel to accept the original proposal.
Gaza ceasefire talks in Qatar concluded on Friday by presenting “a proposal that narrows the gaps” between Israel and Hamas that is consistent with the principles set out by Biden on May 31.
Biden stated in May that Israel presented a three-phase deal that would end hostilities in Gaza and secure the release of hostages held in the coastal enclave. The plan includes a cease-fire, a hostage-prisoner exchange, and the reconstruction of Gaza.
But Hamas said on Sunday that Netanyahu set new conditions in the Gaza cease-fire and hostage swap proposal that was floated during the Doha talks.
“The new proposal meets Netanyahu’s conditions and aligns with them, particularly his refusal of a permanent cease-fire, a complete withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, and his insistence on continuing the occupation of the Netzarim Junction (which separates the north and south of the Gaza Strip), the Rafah crossing, and the Philadelphi Corridor (in the south),” Hamas announced in a statement.
“He also set new conditions in the hostage swap file and retracted from other terms, which obstructs the completion of the deal,” it added.
For months, the US, Qatar and Egypt have been trying to reach an agreement between Israel and Hamas to ensure a prisoner exchange and cease-fire and allow humanitarian aid to enter Gaza. But mediation efforts have been stalled due to Netanyahu’s refusal to meet Hamas’s demands to stop the war.
Israel has continued its brutal offensive on the Gaza Strip following a Hamas attack on Oct. 7, 2023 despite a UN Security Council resolution calling for an immediate cease-fire.
The conflict has resulted in nearly 40,200 Palestinian deaths, mostly women and children, and almost 92,800 injuries, according to local health authorities.
The ongoing blockade of Gaza has led to severe shortages of food, clean water, and medicine, leaving much of the region in ruins.
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