Hamas is demanding written guarantees from the United States for a permanent ceasefire and the withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Gaza Strip as conditions to agree to a US-backed Israeli truce and hostage deal proposal, according to two Egyptian security sources.
The mediation efforts led by Qatar and Egypt revealed on Tuesday that Hamas had responded to the phased ceasefire plan, which aims to end the eight-month conflict between Israel and Hamas, though specific details were not disclosed.
This plan, publicized by US President Joe Biden in late May, outlines a gradual process. It includes the phased release of Israeli hostages held in Gaza, the withdrawal of Israeli forces, the release of Palestinian prisoners, and the reconstruction of Gaza, along with the return of the remains of deceased hostages in a third phase.
While the United States has indicated that Israel has accepted the proposal, Israel has not made any public statements confirming this.
Sources familiar with the negotiations revealed that Hamas is concerned about the lack of explicit guarantees regarding the transition between the phases of the plan. The initial phase involves a six-week truce and the release of some hostages, while the second phase includes a permanent ceasefire and the withdrawal of Israeli forces.
The Egyptian sources stated that Hamas would only agree to the plan if these guarantees are provided, and Egypt is currently in discussions with the US to address this demand.
“Hamas wants reassurances of an automatic transition from one phase to another as per the agreement laid out by President Biden,” a third source with knowledge of the talks said.
Neither Hamas nor Egyptian authorities have responded to requests for comment.
When announcing the plan, President Biden mentioned that if negotiations for the second phase took longer than six weeks, the ceasefire would continue until those negotiations concluded.
Hamas described its response to the proposal as “positive,” suggesting it opened a “wide pathway” towards reaching an agreement.
However, an Israeli official, speaking on condition of anonymity, claimed that Hamas had “changed all of the main and most meaningful parameters,” essentially rejecting Biden’s proposal for the hostage release.
A non-Israeli official briefed on the matter, who also requested anonymity, mentioned that Hamas had proposed a new timeline for a permanent ceasefire with Israel and the withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza, including Rafah.
The evolving dynamics of these negotiations underscore the complexity of achieving a lasting resolution to the conflict, with both sides seeking assurances and conditions that align with their respective interests and security concerns.
SOURCE: TIMES OF ISRAEL
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