Hamas ‘views positively’ lasting ceasefire deal presented by Biden
The Cradle, June 1, 2024 —
The resistance group confirmed it has yet to receive the details of the proposal reportedly drafted by Israel and put forward by the US president.
Palestinian resistance group Hamas said late on 31 May that they “view positively” the contents of a ceasefire proposal presented by US President Joe Biden that could see the complete withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza.
“We consider this American position and the reinforced conviction on the regional and international stage of the necessity to put an end to the war on Gaza to be the result of the legendary steadfastness of our struggling people and their brave resistance,” Hamas said in a statement.
Palestinian officials also confirmed their “readiness to engage positively and constructively with any proposal based on a permanent ceasefire, complete withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, reconstruction, the return of displaced persons to all their homes, and a serious prisoner exchange deal, provided the occupation declares its explicit commitment to this.”
On Saturday morning, Hamas leader Mahmoud Mardawi revealed to Arabic media that the resistance group has yet to receive the details of the Israeli ceasefire proposal presented by Biden.
“We are interested in testing the positivity generated by this new proposal and examining its chances of success,” Mardawi said, adding, “No agreement can be reached before the demand for the withdrawal of the occupation army and a ceasefire is met.”
The Hamas official also stressed that Israeli leaders “must respond positively to the proposal put forward by Biden” and that if the White House “is not ready to pressure Netanyahu’s government, the deal will not see the light of day.”
On Friday night, Biden announced that Israel “offered” a permanent ceasefire proposal in three stages.
“This new proposal has three phases: The first phase would last for six weeks. It would include a full and complete ceasefire, withdrawal of Israeli forces from all populated areas of Gaza, the release of a number of hostages including women, the elderly, the wounded in exchange for the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners,” Biden detailed.
The terms of the deal largely resemble a lasting ceasefire proposal drafted under the auspices of Qatar, Egypt, and the US that Hamas leaders accepted in early May. This immediately prompted Israel to launch its bloody Rafah campaign and block the entry of humanitarian aid to the strip.
Following Biden’s speech, Tel Aviv acknowledged that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office “allowed the negotiation team to present the proposal,” and a senior official told reporters that the country knows “what the expectations” of the deal are.
“I have no doubt that the deal will be characterized by Israel and will be characterized by Hamas, but we know what’s in the deal. We know what the expectations are,” the official said.