The Hamas leadership said Sunday it would not attend this week's ceasefire negotiations, instead demanding that the US and allies submit an action plan to implement the ceasefire proposal agreed to last month.
The Hamas statement, obtained by The Associated Press, called on the United States, Egypt and Qatar to show how they can implement last month's proposal, “rather than continuing with more rounds of negotiations or new proposals that provide cover for the occupation's aggression.”
President Biden stressed earlier on Sunday that the ceasefire proposal is “still viable,” despite some opposition from Israeli leaders.
“The plan that I have laid out, approved by the G7, approved by the … U.N. Security Council, and so forth, is still viable,” Biden said in an interview with “CBS News Sunday Morning.” “And I'm working literally every day to — and my entire team is working to make sure that this doesn't escalate into a regional war. But that could easily happen.”
Hamas leaders cited rising tensions in the region after Israel killed two top Hamas officials in Beirut and Tehran earlier this month. The group also noted that the Israeli military has killed hundreds of Palestinian civilians in airstrikes in recent days.
Biden, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Qatari leader Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani issued a joint statement last week calling on Israel and Hamas to agree to a ceasefire and a hostage release deal.
“The time has come to conclude the ceasefire and release hostages and prisoners,” the leaders said in Thursday’s statement. “The three of us and our teams have worked tirelessly for months to forge a framework agreement that is now on the table, with only the details of implementation remaining to be finalized.”
“There is no more time to lose and no excuses from any side for further delay,” they added. “It is time to release the hostages, start the ceasefire and implement this agreement.”
The proposed ceasefire talks would begin on Thursday and would focus on a “final bridging proposal,” the three leaders said.
US officials have hinted for weeks that the talks are nearing their final stages, while some have acknowledged that key details of implementation remain to be worked out.
The ceasefire and hostage release deal would build on a proposal Biden made in May that would have included exchanging the most vulnerable hostages for Palestinian prisoners and a temporary ceasefire. Israeli troops would also be required to withdraw from densely populated areas of Gaza.
Miranda Nazzaro contributed.
Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Visit The Hill for breaking news, weather, sports and streaming video.
