White House says ‘ball in Hamas’s court’ over Gaza peace proposal
4 حزيران 2024 11:08
The White House insisted that the “ball was in Hamas’s court” on whether to accept a new Gaza peace proposal, despite mixed signals from Benjamin Netanyahu reflecting turmoil within his governing coalition in Israel.
The US national security spokesperson, John Kirby, insisted on Monday that it was an Israeli proposal – despite the fact it had been unveiled by Joe Biden on Friday, during the Jewish Sabbath, and Netanyahu had appeared to challenge it. The Israeli prime minister said any deal that did not lead to the complete destruction of Hamas’s military and governing capacity would be a “non-starter”.
The Israeli prime minister told the Knesset on Monday: “The claims that we have agreed to a ceasefire without our conditions being met are incorrect.”
“I’ve heard different statements coming out of Israel,” Kirby said, pointing out that the country’s foreign minister, Israel Katz, had acknowledged that it was an Israeli proposal. The three-phase plan outlined by Biden on Friday, he added, “accurately reflects that proposal that we worked with the Israelis on”.
“Hamas has now got this proposal. It got it Thursday night. We’re awaiting an official response by them,” Kirby said. “They ought to take the deal. This gives them what they’ve been looking for, which is a ceasefire and over time, through phases, the potential withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza.”
“It is fair to say that the ball is in Hamas’s court,” he said.
US officials said that the proposal had evolved in discussions between US, Israeli and Qatari negotiators in the past few weeks. However, Netanyahu was given just a few hours’ notice on Friday that Biden would make it public.
The officials said that the timing, with Biden speaking when Israeli government offices were closed for the Sabbath and the country’s most conservative, religiously observant politicians had cut themselves off from the internet and other communications, was not deliberate, but was dictated by the fact that the four and a half page plan was delivered to Hamas on Thursday.
It was transmitted to the Hamas political leadership based in Qatar but officials said it could take time for it to be conveyed to Yahya Sinwar, the group’s leader in Gaza, and for a reply to come back from him.
The first phase of the proposal would be similar to an earlier plan that failed to win agreement. Over six weeks, Hamas would release elderly, sick, wounded and female hostages, and Israel would free a greater number of Palestinian detainees. There would be a ceasefire and Israeli forces would pull back from densely populated areas, allowing Palestinians to go back to whatever is left of their homes, and 600 trucks of humanitarian assistance would cross into the coastal strip each day.
At the same time there would be negotiations on how to reach a second, more comprehensive, phase, which would involve the release of all remaining hostages and the freeing of more Palestinian prisoners, a complete withdrawal of Israeli troops and a permanent cessation of hostilities. A third phase would address reconstruction and governance in Gaza.
The US national security spokesperson, John Kirby, insisted on Monday that it was an Israeli proposal – despite the fact it had been unveiled by Joe Biden on Friday, during the Jewish Sabbath, and Netanyahu had appeared to challenge it. The Israeli prime minister said any deal that did not lead to the complete destruction of Hamas’s military and governing capacity would be a “non-starter”.
The Israeli prime minister told the Knesset on Monday: “The claims that we have agreed to a ceasefire without our conditions being met are incorrect.”
“I’ve heard different statements coming out of Israel,” Kirby said, pointing out that the country’s foreign minister, Israel Katz, had acknowledged that it was an Israeli proposal. The three-phase plan outlined by Biden on Friday, he added, “accurately reflects that proposal that we worked with the Israelis on”.
“Hamas has now got this proposal. It got it Thursday night. We’re awaiting an official response by them,” Kirby said. “They ought to take the deal. This gives them what they’ve been looking for, which is a ceasefire and over time, through phases, the potential withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza.”
“It is fair to say that the ball is in Hamas’s court,” he said.
US officials said that the proposal had evolved in discussions between US, Israeli and Qatari negotiators in the past few weeks. However, Netanyahu was given just a few hours’ notice on Friday that Biden would make it public.
The officials said that the timing, with Biden speaking when Israeli government offices were closed for the Sabbath and the country’s most conservative, religiously observant politicians had cut themselves off from the internet and other communications, was not deliberate, but was dictated by the fact that the four and a half page plan was delivered to Hamas on Thursday.
It was transmitted to the Hamas political leadership based in Qatar but officials said it could take time for it to be conveyed to Yahya Sinwar, the group’s leader in Gaza, and for a reply to come back from him.
The first phase of the proposal would be similar to an earlier plan that failed to win agreement. Over six weeks, Hamas would release elderly, sick, wounded and female hostages, and Israel would free a greater number of Palestinian detainees. There would be a ceasefire and Israeli forces would pull back from densely populated areas, allowing Palestinians to go back to whatever is left of their homes, and 600 trucks of humanitarian assistance would cross into the coastal strip each day.
At the same time there would be negotiations on how to reach a second, more comprehensive, phase, which would involve the release of all remaining hostages and the freeing of more Palestinian prisoners, a complete withdrawal of Israeli troops and a permanent cessation of hostilities. A third phase would address reconstruction and governance in Gaza.