Hamas response leaves ceasefire deal languishing

After delaying for almost two weeks, Hamas has finally delivered its response to the latest Israeli-American offer for a hostage deal, torpedoing hopes of an imminent resolution.

The terrorist organisation demanded changes, including a total and permanent cessation of hostilities and differences over the release of hostages and of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails.

Israel immediately announced that Hamas had rejected the proposal. Hamas replied that it hadn’t rejected the offer but only asked for clarifications, and that the problem lay in Israel’s response to its changes.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken expressed frustration at the “numerous changes” Hamas had submitted, some varying from its earlier statements.

“Some of the changes are workable. Some are not,” Blinken said at a press conference in Doha, describing some of those changes as going “beyond positions [Hamas] had previously taken”.

Blinken said he believed that the “gaps” are “bridgeable” but expressed exasperation at both the changes Hamas proposed and the 12 days it took to reply.

“Israel accepted the proposal as it was. Hamas could have answered with a single word – yes,” he said.

“At some point in a negotiation – and this has gone back and forth for a long time – you get to a point where if one side continues to change its demands, including making demands and insisting on changes for things that it had already accepted, you have to question whether they’re proceeding in good faith or not,” Blinken said.