US Secretary of State Antony Blinken blamed Hamas for dragging out negotiations with Israel to implement a ceasefire, but said the US would work to address some changes proposed by the militant group that controls the Gaza Strip.
Blinken made the remarks alongside his Qatari counterpart after consultations in Doha to evaluate Hamas’ response, which came 12 days after it first received a U.S.-led ceasefire proposal.
“When one side keeps changing its demands and insists on changes that have already been accepted, it makes you question whether there is good faith,” Blinken said of the frustrations of negotiations with Hamas.
“It’s time to stop negotiating and start a ceasefire. That’s it,” he added.
President Biden late last month outlined a three-phase proposal, starting with an immediate six-week temporary ceasefire. The United States said Israel had already accepted the proposal and placed the onus on Hamas to respond to begin implementing the agreement.
The main point of contention appears to be between Hamas’ insistence that a permanent ceasefire be guaranteed for a permanent cessation of hostilities, and Israel agreeing only to the possibility of negotiations for a permanent cessation of fighting.
Blinken said Wednesday that Hamas had responded with a number of changes to its original proposal and that the United States was committed to working with Qatar and Egypt to resolve their differences.
“Some changes are doable, some are not,” he said.
“Israel accepted the proposal as is. Hamas did not. I think it’s clear what is needed. We are determined to work urgently over the next few days to see whether we can actually address the gaps that are solvable and bring about a solution,” he continued.
Blinken added: “Hamas may continue to say no, and that is their fault, and I think it will be clear to everyone around the world that they have chosen to continue a war that they started.”
Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani said Israel had sent contradictory statements about its commitment to the proposal and that “pressure needs to be put on Israel as well as the other side.”
Qatar has been the main intermediary in negotiations with Hamas, whose political wing is allowed to have an office in the capital, Doha. Al-Thani said the motivation for allowing Hamas to have a political office in Qatar was to keep the lines of communication open, and that the reasons for keeping them open now were “legitimate.”
“As mediators, we’re trying our best to respect our role and bridge the gap and not favor one side, and our biggest concern is that it’s taking too long to bridge the gap,” he said. “We need to get this done as quickly as possible. That’s our focus.”
