Hamas said the reported progress in the strained Gaza cease-fire negotiations were nothing more than “illusions” after President Biden said he was optimistic over the deal.
After the latest talks in Qatar last week over the US-backed deal, Biden claimed “we are closer than we have ever been” to a cease-fire, with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s negotiation team expressing “cautious optimism” that the talks were moving forward.
A senior Hamas official, however, said there had been no progress at all, claiming mediators were just “selling illusions,” the BBC reports.
“What we have received from the mediators is very disappointing,” the official, who was not named, told the outlet. “There has been no progress.”
It remains unclear what new problems have arisen after the latest rounds of negotiations on Thursday, which Hamas had skipped out on after claiming they have strayed too far from the original deal.
The US-backed proposal seeks to impose a six-week pause in fighting so as to allow Israel and Hamas to discuss a hostage exchange. while allowing more Palestinians to return to their homes and receive more aid.
Hamas has allegedly dropped its demands for the immediate cease-fire to be permanent, but the terror group has previously stated that the deal should include wording to establish an end to the war.
Netanyahu has previously rejected such terms, repeatedly vowing that the war will only end when Hamas is destroyed and Gaza no longer poses a threat to the Jewish state following the Oct. 7 massacre.
The prime minister has not budged from his position despite growing pressure from his own country to do whatever it takes to free the estimated 111 hostages who remain in Hamas captivity.
Despite the pressure, Netanyahu insisted Sunday that he will stick to his guns and make sure the negotiations go forward as a give-and-take and “not a give-and-give.”
“There are areas where we can show flexibility, and there are areas where we can’t show flexibility — and we are standing firm on them,” Netanyahu said in a statement.
The Israeli leader also accused Hamas of being the ones sabotaging the deal, pointing out that the terrorists didn’t send a representative to meet with the Israeli delegation in Qatar.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is en route to Israel for his ninth trip to the Middle East since the conflict in Gaza broke out in an attempt to help the negotiations move along and avoid all-out war in the region.
Israel is currently awaiting a direct attack from Iran and Hezbollah over the death of two senior terrorist leaders, including Hams chief Ismail Haniyeh.
It’s been suggested that Iran and Hezbollah are holding off their attacks to see how the cease-fire talks proceed.
