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The back-and-forth revealed frustration at the difficulty of reaching an agreement that could end eight months of war that has devastated the territory, killed tens of thousands of Palestinians and left scores of Israeli hostages still languishing in militant captivity.
Previous moments of optimism were repeatedly scorched by the differences between the two sides.
The cease-fire proposal has worldwide support, but has not been fully accepted by Israel or Hamas. Blinken did not specify what changes Hamas was seeking, but said the mediators – Qatar, Egypt and the US – would continue to try to “close this deal”. He put the onus on Hamas, accusing it of changing its demands.
“Hamas proposed numerous changes to the proposal that was on the table… Some of the changes are applicable. Some are not,” Blinken told reporters in Qatar. “I believe they [the differences] can be overcome, but that doesn’t mean they will be overcome, because ultimately Hamas has to decide.”
Blinken’s comments came as Lebanon’s Hezbollah fired a massive volley of rockets into northern Israel to avenge the killing of a top commander, further escalating regional tensions.
Hezbollah, an Iranian-backed ally of Hamas, has exchanged fire with Israel almost daily since the start of the Israel-Hamas war and says it will stop only if there is a ceasefire in Gaza. This raised fears of an even more devastating regional fire.
Air raid sirens sounded in northern Israel and the military said about 215 shells were fired from southern Lebanon, making it one of the biggest attacks since the fighting began. There were no immediate reports of casualties as some rockets were intercepted while others set fire to bushes.
Hamas wants changes Hamas delivered its official response to the mediators’ proposal on Tuesday. Hamas spokesman Jihad Taha told Lebanese news outlet ElNashra that the “amendments” demanded by the group were aimed at guaranteeing a permanent ceasefire and the full withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza.
The proposal announced by US President Joe Biden includes those provisions, but Hamas expressed caution over whether Israel would implement the terms. While the US says Israel has accepted the offer, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has issued conflicting statements, saying Israel remains determined to achieve its goal of destroying Hamas.
Blinken, on his eighth visit to the region since the start of the war, said the deal on the table was “virtually identical” to the one proposed by Hamas on May 6. The UN Security Council voted overwhelmingly in favor of the plan on Monday.
“At some point in the negotiations, and it’s been going 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 pushing for changes to things that it has already accepted , you have to question whether they are acting in good faith or not,” he said.
Speaking alongside Blinken, Qatari Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani said there had been “counterproductive” actions by both sides.
The proposal’s three-phase plan would begin with a six-week ceasefire and the release of some hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners. Israeli forces will withdraw from populated areas and Palestinian civilians will be allowed to return to their homes. Aid distribution will also increase.
At the same time, negotiations will begin on the second phase, which should lead to a “permanent end to hostilities” and a “full withdrawal” of Israeli troops from Gaza in exchange for the release of all remaining hostages.
The third phase will see the launch of a plan to rebuild Gaza and the return of the remains of deceased hostages.
The main problem for both sides seems to be the negotiations for the second phase.
Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations, Gilad Erdan, said Israel would demand that Hamas be removed from power as part of any agreement at this phase.
“One of our conditions is not only the release of the hostages, it’s also the future of Gaza,” Erdan told CNN’s “The Source” on Monday. “We cannot agree that Hamas will continue to be the ruler of Gaza, because then Gaza will continue to pose a threat to Israel.
He also said Israel opposes a provision extending the initial cease-fire while negotiations continue, saying it would allow Hamas to “continue with the endless and pointless negotiations.”
Hamas, for its part, appears to want stronger guarantees in advance that the talks will lead to a permanent ceasefire and withdrawal.
Netanyahu’s far-right coalition allies rejected the offer and threatened to topple his government if he ended the war, leaving Hamas intact. But Netanyahu is also under increasing pressure to accept a deal to return the hostages. Thousands of Israelis, including families of the hostages, demonstrated in support of the US-backed plan.
Israel’s bombing and ground offensives in Gaza have killed more than 37,000 Palestinians, according to Palestinian health officials, who did not provide information on civilians and fighters. The war has also driven about 80 percent of the population of 2.3 million from their homes, and Israeli restrictions and ongoing fighting have hampered efforts to bring in humanitarian aid, fueling widespread hunger.
Israel began its campaign after Hamas and other extremists invaded Israel on October 7, killing about 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and taking about 250 hostages. More than 100 hostages were released during a week-long ceasefire last year in exchange for Palestinians jailed by Israel. Hamas is believed to be holding around 80 hostages and the remains of another 40.
Avenging Netanyahu’s slain commander said he was conducting a security assessment in light of Hezbollah’s barrage in the north and what it called Hamas’ “negative response” to the offer.
Hezbollah said it fired missiles and rockets at two military bases in retaliation for the killing of 55-year-old Taleb Sami Abdullah. Known within Hezbollah as Haj Abu Taleb, he is the most senior commander killed since the fighting began eight months ago. The Israeli strike late on Tuesday destroyed a house where Abdullah and three other officials were meeting, about 10 kilometers from the border.
A Hezbollah official told The Associated Press that Abdullah was in charge of much of the Lebanese-Israeli front, including the area opposite the Israeli town of Kiryat Shmona, which Hezbollah has repeatedly attacked in recent days, causing fires in the area.
The official, who was not authorized to speak to the media and spoke on condition of anonymity, said Abdullah joined Hezbollah decades ago and took part in attacks against Israeli forces during their 18-year occupation of southern Lebanon, which ended in May 2000
Israeli airstrikes over Lebanon have killed more than 400 people, most of them members of Hezbollah, but the dead have also included more than 70 civilians and non-combatants. On the Israeli side, 15 soldiers and 10 civilians have been killed since the start of the Gaza war.
Other groups allied with Iran, including powerful militias in Iraq and Syria and Houthi rebels in Yemen, have also attacked Israeli, American and other targets since the start of the war, often prompting retaliation from the West. In April, Israel and Iran exchanged direct fire for the first time.
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