Hamas Rejects Biden’s Claim of Backing Away from Ceasefire Deal Amid Negotiation Disputes

Hamas has dismissed President Joe Biden’s assertion that it is retreating from a ceasefire-for-hostages deal. The militant group contends that the U.S. is aligning too closely with Israeli interests in the ongoing negotiations. Although Hamas did not outright reject the latest compromise proposal from mediators, it emphasized the significant hurdles that still need to be overcome to achieve a resolution to the conflict in Gaza.

On Monday, Biden’s Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, reported that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had endorsed a “bridging text” to address unresolved issues between Israel and Hamas. This text was intended to help resolve disputes and move closer to a ceasefire agreement. However, the discussions have been complicated by disagreements over the presence of Israeli forces in the Philadelphi corridor, a critical area along the Egypt-Gaza border.

Despite Biden’s optimism about a potential deal, he mentioned that Hamas appeared to be “backing off” from the negotiations. This statement surprised Hamas, which accused the U.S. of bias towards Israel. Hamas asserted that Biden’s comments did not accurately reflect their commitment to ending the aggression and achieving a ceasefire.

The U.S. proposed a three-stage ceasefire plan last week, based on Biden’s earlier outline. The plan involves a phased withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza. However, Netanyahu has insisted on maintaining an Israeli presence in the Philadelphi corridor, which Hamas rejects. The current bridging proposal suggests a reduced Israeli presence, but key details about the extent and duration of this reduction remain unresolved.

In addition to the military presence issue, there are disagreements over the release of Palestinian prisoners in exchange for Israeli hostages taken by Hamas during the October 7 attack. Netanyahu wants to retain the ability to veto the release of many prisoners and insists that some be exiled. Meanwhile, Israeli forces have confirmed the retrieval of six hostages’ bodies from Gaza, with ongoing efforts to gather intelligence and explore rescue operations.