Blinken on Biden deal: Some Hamas changes are unworkable

During a press conference in Doha, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken commented on the official response from Hamas to Israel's proposed deal, which could lead to a ceasefire and the release of hostages.

"Hamas proposed several amendments. We discussed them with our colleagues from Egypt and the Prime Minister of Qatar. "Hamas has proposed numerous changes to the proposal that was on the table… Some of the changes are workable, some are not," Blinken said.

"Hamas could have answered with a single word. 'Yes.' Instead, Hamas waited nearly two weeks and then proposed more changes, a number of which go beyond positions that had previously taken and accepted."

Blinken's comments suggest alignment with Israel's assessment of Hamas's response. Hamas political bureau member Izzat al-Rishq had earlier described the response to Qatar and Egypt as "responsible, serious, and positive," claiming it "opens a wide pathway" to an agreement.

Another Hamas representative told Reuters that their response confirmed the terror group's position that a ceasefire should lead to the end of hostilities in Gaza, the withdrawal of Israeli forces, the reconstruction of Gaza, and the release of Palestinian prisoners. "We confirmed our previous position... The ball is now in Israel's court," Hamas said.

An Israeli source confirmed on June 11 that intermediaries had delivered Hamas's response to Israel. According to Ynet, a senior source in Jerusalem considered the Hamas response as a potential rejection of the deal, noting that Hamas made changes to all significant points of the agreement. "This looks like a refusal. Hamas has changed every substantial part of the agreement. President Biden stated that the deal should be accepted and implemented as proposed," the Ynet reported citing its source.

Israeli news outlets reported, citing a source in the negotiation team, that Hamas rejected the proposal. Following the delivery of their response, Hamas and Islamic Jihad issued a joint statement emphasizing the need to stop ongoing aggression against Gaza and expressing readiness to take positive steps towards an agreement to end the war.

Al-Jazeera reported that the response from Hamas included changes mainly concerning the cessation of hostilities and the withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza, including the Philadelphi Corridor and the Rafah crossing. Al-Hadath highlighted several contentious points, including Hamas's insistence on the complete withdrawal of the IDF from Gaza, a full ceasefire, and the return of all displaced people to their homes in northern Gaza.