Hamas slams Blinken accusations of stalling Gaza deal as 'distortion'
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The Palestinian Resistance group calls on the US to stop its political and military support for the ongoing genocide and starvation crimes in Gaza.
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US Secretary of State Antony Blinken boards a plane at the US Naval Support Activity base, after the G7 foreign ministers summit on Capri island, in Naples, on April 19, 2024. (Photo by Ciro De Luca / POOL / AFP)
Hamas underlined that the statements made by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken that the Palestinian Resistance group is obstructing a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, are a confirmation of the US administration's "blatant bias toward Zionist fascism."
In response to Blinken, Hamas said the US Secretary of State's remarks are a "distortion of reality," adding that the one obstructing the negotiation process for his benefit is the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The Palestinian Resistance group affirmed that its "negotiating behaviour was based on the interest of our Palestinian people and the priority of stopping the brutal aggression against them, the withdrawal of the occupation, the return of the displaced, and ending their human suffering created by the American-funded killing machine."
Hamas also stressed the necessity for the US administration to pressure Netanyahu and stop its political and military support for the ongoing genocide and starvation crimes committed by the Israeli occupation against the people of the Gaza Strip, "if it [the US administration] truly wishes to end this tragedy."
Earlier on Friday, Blinken claimed that the United States wants to reach a ceasefire agreement in Gaza, alleging that "the only thing standing between [Palestinians in Gaza] and a ceasefire is Hamas."
The US Secretary of State claimed that Hamas has "rejected generous proposals from Israel. It seems more interested in a regional conflict than it is in a ceasefire that would immediately improve the lives of the Palestinian people."
He indicated during a press conference at the conclusion of the G7 foreign ministers' meetings in Italy that the US will not support a major military invasion in Rafah and believes that "a major military operation with a large presence of civilian population would have terrible consequences for that population."
Blinken also urged the Israeli occupation to swiftly meet its "humanitarian commitments" in the Gaza Strip. "More aid, more crossings, better deconfliction, better distribution of the assistance to all who need it."
But he also affirmed Washington's commitment to "Israel’s security".
"We’re also committed to de-escalating to try to bring this tension to a close," he added.
Gaza ceasefire talks going through 'sensitive stage': Qatari PM
On Wednesday, Qatar's Prime Minister said that negotiations between "Israel" and the Palestinian Resistance group Hamas over a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and a prisoner exchange deal have stalled.
"We are going through a sensitive stage with some stalling, and we are trying as much as possible to address this stalling," Sheikh Mohammad bin Abdulrahman al-Thani told a news conference with Romanian Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu.
Negotiators are trying to "move forward and put an end to the suffering that the people in Gaza are experiencing" and the release of Israeli captives held by the Palestinian Resistance, Sheikh al-Thani said.
The Qatari premier said Doha had "warned from the beginning of this war against the expansion of the circle of conflict, and today we see conflicts on different fronts."
"We constantly call on the international community to assume its responsibilities and stop this war," he added, saying people of Gaza faced "siege and starvation" with humanitarian aid being used as a "tool for political blackmail."
Al-Thani affirmed that Qatar condemns the policy of collective punishment that "Israel" continues to implement in the Gaza Strip, as well as the escalation in the occupied West Bank.
Hamas made several modifications to Cairo proposal in a response
On April 13, a high-ranking Palestinian Resistance official told Al Mayadeen that Hamas delivered its response to the latest proposal it received from mediators in Egypt and Qatar.
Hamas' response included clauses on several issues disputed by the Israeli occupation's negotiators, the sources added.
Several clauses, pertaining to the first stage of the proposed deal, were modified by the Palestinian Resistance, including the main points relating to the withdrawal of Israeli occupation forces from the Gaza Strip, the return of the displaced Palestinians to their homes, the delivery of humanitarian aid, and the detainees-to-captives ratio to be exchanged in the deal.
According to the sources, modifications were also made to the second stage of the proposed deal, in which Hamas demanded a clear written item on a complete ceasefire.
Hamas confirmed that it delivered a response to the mediators, saying that it will stand by the main demands it made in previous messages to mediators.
