By Jana Choukeir
DUBAI (Reuters) – Hamas said on Tuesday that U.S. President Joe Biden’s comment that the Palestinian group was backing away from a Gaza ceasefire agreement with Israel was “misleading”.
Biden, responding to questions on a ceasefire deal, said: “Israel says they can work it out, they’re prepared. But I was told Hamas is now backing off.”
While boarding a plane after giving a speech at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago on Monday, he added: “It remains to be seen. We’re going to keep pushing.”
Hamas said Biden’s statements do not reflect the true position of the movement, which says it has been keen to reach a cessation of hostilities.
“The proposal recently presented to us goes against what the parties had agreed on July 2, this is considered an American response and acquiescence to the terrorist Netanyahu’s new conditions and his criminal plans towards the Gaza Strip”, Hamas added, referring to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who is on his ninth trip to the region since the war began, expressed optimism after meeting Israeli officials on Monday.
On Tuesday, Blinken was in Cairo pushing for areas of possible progress on a ceasefire and hostage release deal in talks planned for later this week, with major areas of dispute still unresolved.
The U.S. had put forward bridging proposals that the mediating countries – Qatar, the United States and Egypt – believe would close gaps between Israel and Hamas and end the hostilities that have destabilized the entire region.
(Reporting by Jana Choukeir and Clauda Tanios; editing by Mark Heinrich and Giles Elgood)
