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Hamas has rejected President Joe Biden’s claim that it is “backing off” from a ceasefire-for-hostage deal, while insisting that the US is yielding to Israel’s interests in crunch negotiations.
A statement from the militant group on Tuesday stopped short of outright rejection of a compromise proposal drawn up by mediators, but underlined the daunting challenges that remained to secure a deal to end the war in Gaza.
Biden’s chief diplomat Antony Blinken declared on Monday that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had supported a so-called bridging text, which aimed to resolve outstanding points of dispute.
People familiar with the latest talks said they had focused on the question of Israel’s presence on the border between Egypt and Gaza, known as the Philadelphi corridor, which has emerged as one of the main sticking points.
But Biden later on Monday said that while a potential deal — which the US and Arab states see as the best way of avoiding a regional war in the Middle East — was “still in play”, he had been told “Hamas is now backing off”.
Hamas responded on Tuesday that it was “astonished” by Biden’s comments and accused the US, which along with Qatar and Egypt has been mediating the months-long ceasefire talks, of being biased towards Israel.
“[Biden’s remarks] do not reflect the true position of the movement, which is keen to reach a cessation of aggression,” Hamas said.
The US last week put forward a bridging proposal, based on a three-stage ceasefire plan set out by Biden in May, aimed at overcoming the gaps that remain between Israel and Hamas over the terms of any deal.
Biden’s original three-stage plan specified that Israel would withdraw from the populated areas of Gaza in the first phase, and completely in the second phase.
But Netanyahu has in recent weeks insisted that Israeli forces remain in the Philadelphi corridor — a demand repeatedly rejected by Hamas, which has called the bridging proposal a “coup” against terms it had previously agreed.
A diplomat briefed on the talks said the bridging proposal included a reduced Israeli presence in the corridor but that key details remained to be finalised.
“It’s not clear what the timeframe is for the presence or what reduced presence means and whether they continue to control exit and entry through Rafah,” the diplomat said.
Another point of contention is the terms under which the Palestinian prisoners due to be exchanged for the Israeli hostages will be released. The diplomat said Netanyahu was demanding that Israel could veto a large number from being freed, and wanted some to be released only in exile.
Blinken was in Cairo on Tuesday for talks with Egyptian officials, including President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi. He is due to visit Doha this week.
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