The CIA director said on Thursday that negotiations on a ceasefire and the release of Israeli hostages have stalled because Hamas rejected the latest proposal put forth by Israel, Qatar and Egypt, blaming the lack of progress in negotiations for this group. led the October 7 attack on Israel.
Earlier this month, William J. Burns, the CIA director and chief American negotiator, went to Cairo and laid out what he called “a far-reaching proposal” that Egyptian and Qatari negotiators had brought to the table. Hamas. The proposal includes an offer to allow some Gazans to return to the northern part of the enclave, a key demand of Hamas.
Although Mr. Burns did not describe the proposal in detail, he said that so far Hamas has not accepted it.
“It is deeply disappointing to receive such a negative response from Hamas,” Mr. Burns said, speaking at the George W. Bush Presidential Center in Dallas. “Right now, that negative response is actually preventing innocent civilians in Gaza from getting the humanitarian relief they desperately need.”
Last Sunday, Mossad, Israel's intelligence agency, expressed regret when Hamas rejected the proposal, saying it showed the group was not interested in reaching an agreement.
Other US officials, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive negotiations, said Hamas had signaled that it did not have enough women and civilian hostages under its control to complete its part. first part of the agreement, which would release 40 hostages within six weeks. returned a large number of Palestinian prisoners.
A senior Hamas official, also speaking on condition of anonymity, said there were not enough civilian hostages left alive who met Israel's criteria to reach the proposed number of 40 hostages within six months. week. He accused Israel of seeking to free the detained soldiers for less than what the group demanded. Hamas said most of the soldiers would be released in the later stages of the ceasefire agreement.
In its latest proposal to negotiators, Hamas called for the release of fewer than 20 surviving hostages as part of an initial six-week ceasefire, according to two Israeli officials familiar with the matter. , who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive issues. . An official said Israel hoped to see injured and sick hostages freed, but Hamas insisted on a much narrower definition limited to the elderly and women.
Last year, Mr. Burns helped guide negotiations that led to the release of about 100 hostages in exchange for a halt to fighting and the release of Palestinian prisoners. Mr Burns said he could not guarantee that the current negotiations would be successful.
“And it breaks your heart because you can also see what's at stake here in very human terms,” he said.
Burns also reiterated the Biden administration's desire that Israel not escalate the conflict with Iran, following what he called Iran's failed attack last weekend. Instead, he said that President Biden and other policymakers hope that “we will all find ways to alleviate the situation.”
“I know the Israeli government, as we sit here this afternoon, is considering its response to what happened last Saturday night,” Mr. Burns said. “And you know, it's their choice to give that feedback.”
But Mr. Burns said that the Israelis “clearly demonstrated their superiority” when they shot down Iranian drones and missiles. He said that of the 330 drones and missiles launched by Iran, only four or five fell on Israeli soil.
“And none of them caused any significant damage,” he said. “It is a reminder of the quality of the Israeli army. It is a reminder of the fact that Israelis have friends, starting with the United States.”
