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©(Photo by Israeli Army / AFP)
Senior Hamas official Osama Hamdan said Thursday that US President Joe Biden's proposed Gaza ceasefire deal was "just words," and that the Palestinian militant group had not received any written commitments related to a truce. On the other hand, Egyptian State-linked al-Qahera News reported, citing a high-level source, that they have received encouraging signals from Hamas regarding the proposal.
Biden presented last week what he labelled an Israeli three-phase plan that would end the conflict, free all hostages and lead to the reconstruction of the devastated Palestinian territory without Hamas in power.
Cairo has been engaged, along with fellow mediators Doha and Washington, in months of negotiations for a ceasefire aimed at ending the Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip.
"Hamas leaders have informed us that they are studying the truce proposal seriously and positively," al-Qahera quoted the source as saying.
The source, who was not named, said the Palestinian militant group was expected to respond to the proposal in the coming days.
Egypt, which invited Hamas leaders to negotiations in Cairo, had "received positive signs from the Palestinian movement signaling its aspiration for a ceasefire," the source added.
The comments came a day after Hamas representatives met in Doha with Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani and Egypt's intelligence chief Abbas Kamel.
But Hamdan told AFP, "There is no proposal – they are just words said by Biden in a speech."
"So far, the Americans have not presented anything documented or written that commits them to what Biden said in his speech," he said from the Lebanese capital.
Hamdan also commented that Biden "tried to cover up the Israeli rejection" of another deal offered earlier in May, which had been approved by Hamas.
He said Hamas was willing to accept any deal that met the movement's core demands of a permanent ceasefire in Gaza and the complete withdrawal of Israeli troops from the territory.
Shortly after Biden unveiled the plan, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that the roadmap was only "partial."
The US, along with Qatar and Egypt, have been engaged in months of negotiations over details for a ceasefire in Gaza.
Except for a seven-day pause in November, which led to the release of more than 100 hostages, there has been no break in the fighting.
With AFP
Biden presented last week what he labelled an Israeli three-phase plan that would end the conflict, free all hostages and lead to the reconstruction of the devastated Palestinian territory without Hamas in power.
Cairo has been engaged, along with fellow mediators Doha and Washington, in months of negotiations for a ceasefire aimed at ending the Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip.
"Hamas leaders have informed us that they are studying the truce proposal seriously and positively," al-Qahera quoted the source as saying.
The source, who was not named, said the Palestinian militant group was expected to respond to the proposal in the coming days.
Egypt, which invited Hamas leaders to negotiations in Cairo, had "received positive signs from the Palestinian movement signaling its aspiration for a ceasefire," the source added.
The comments came a day after Hamas representatives met in Doha with Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani and Egypt's intelligence chief Abbas Kamel.
But Hamdan told AFP, "There is no proposal – they are just words said by Biden in a speech."
"So far, the Americans have not presented anything documented or written that commits them to what Biden said in his speech," he said from the Lebanese capital.
Hamdan also commented that Biden "tried to cover up the Israeli rejection" of another deal offered earlier in May, which had been approved by Hamas.
He said Hamas was willing to accept any deal that met the movement's core demands of a permanent ceasefire in Gaza and the complete withdrawal of Israeli troops from the territory.
Shortly after Biden unveiled the plan, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that the roadmap was only "partial."
The US, along with Qatar and Egypt, have been engaged in months of negotiations over details for a ceasefire in Gaza.
Except for a seven-day pause in November, which led to the release of more than 100 hostages, there has been no break in the fighting.
With AFP
This Is Beirut
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