Gaza ceasefire deal 'still possible': Biden
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Biden's remarks come as Blinken, his secretary of state, is currently on his ninth visit to "Israel" since October 7 in an attempt to push for the ceasefire deal.
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President Joe Biden speaks at the White House on July 1, 2024. (AFP)
President Joe Biden believes that a ceasefire in Gaza is "still possible," the US leader told reporters on Sunday, highlighting that talks are "still underway. We're not giving up."
This comes after the latest unsuccessful round of ceasefire talks held in Doha on Friday where Palestinian Resistance group Hamas rejected the proposal since it does not adhere to the previously agreed-upon July 2 terms backed by the Biden administration and UN Security Council Resolution 2735.
The Israeli regime, on the other hand, aims to implement the May 27 principles that expand their occupation by allowing them to maintain control of the Philadelphi Corridor and the Rafah crossing at the Gaza-Egypt border.
The US drafted a new ceasefire proposal that “builds on areas of agreement” while addressing the remaining gaps that enable “a swift implementation of the deal."
Meanwhile, following the recent negotiation talks, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in "Israel" on Sunday to push for a ceasefire and hostage exchange deal in Gaza, marking his ninth trip to the region since the start of the occupation's genocide on October 7.
Hamas responds to ceasefire proposal, blames Netanyahu for stalling
According to a statement made by the Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement Hamas Sunday evening, the movement has "acted with full responsibility" towards mediators in Qatar and Egypt and considered the proposals aimed at reaching an agreement to stop the aggression in Gaza and to conclude a captive agreement.
The movement reported that this was done to "spare the blood of our people and put an end to the genocide, ethnic cleansing. and brutal massacres" being waged on the Palestinian people by the Israeli occupation.
The movement also said it endorsed the mediators' plan in May welcomed Joe Biden's statement and the text of the UN Security Council resolution, and replied positively to the mediators' proposal on July 2, 2024.
After the trilateral statement, Hamas said it urged mediators to present a plan to implement the proposal so negotiations do not become a vicious cycle, referring to how it has been made clear that Netanyahu's stalling and adding obstacles to prolong the aggression and buy himself more time in power.
"After listening to the mediators regarding what transpired in the latest round of talks in Doha, it became clear to us once again that Netanyahu is still placing obstacles in the way of reaching an agreement, setting new conditions and demands aimed at thwarting the mediators' efforts and prolonging the war," the statement detailed.
Hamas detailed how the new proposal aligns with Netanyahu's conditions, particularly his refusal to a permanent ceasefire, the complete withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, his insistence on continuing to occupy the Netzarim Axis, the Rafah crossing, and the Philadelphia corridor."
Netanyahu set new conditions for the prisoner exchange and backed down on other commitments, which prevented the completion of the exchange deal.
The Resistance movement held Netanyahu "fully responsible for the failure of the mediators' efforts, the obstruction of reaching an agreement, and full responsibility for the lives of his captives, who are exposed to the same danger as our people due to his continued aggression and systematic targeting of all aspects of life in the Gaza Strip."
