CIA director William Burns blamed Hamas on Thursday for allegedly holding up negotiations to finish the warfare in Gaza and return Israeli hostages, pointing to their resolution final week to reject an Israeli ceasefire proposal.
“It was a deep disappointment to get a damaging response from Hamas,” the intelligence official, who traveled to Cairo for negotiations earlier this month, stated on Thursday whereas talking on the George W. Bush Presidential Heart in Dallas. “Proper now, it’s that damaging response that actually is standing in the best way of harmless civilians in Gaza getting humanitarian reduction that they so desperately want.”
“And it breaks your coronary heart as a result of you’ll be able to see in very human phrases what’s at stake right here as nicely,” he added.
The feedback echo the view of Mossad, Israel’s overseas intelligence company, which just lately accused the leaders of Hamas of not being taken with a deal. Hamas seized greater than 200 hostages in its terror assault on Israel on 7 October, when it killed greater than 1,200 folks.
Final week, Hamas introduced its rejection of the newest confidential Israeli proposal, arguing it hadn’t met key calls for.
“We … reaffirm our adherence to our calls for and the nationwide calls for of our folks; with a everlasting ceasefire, the withdrawal of the occupation military from your complete Gaza Strip, the return of the displaced to their areas and locations of residence, intensification of the entry of reduction and assist, and the beginning of reconstruction,” the group stated of its resolution.
Israel, in the meantime, has insisted on the return of the 130 people believed to nonetheless be in captivity, 1 / 4 of whom might have already perished. It has additionally insisted it received’t cease combating till Hamas is destroyed as a navy pressure.
Final week, Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated a date has been set for the IDF invasion of Rafah, the southern Gaza metropolis the place greater than one million civilians have taken refuge after being advised by the Israelis to flee south.
Behind the scenes, points over the hostage-exchange portion of any ceasefire settlement are reportedly a key sticking level.
A Hamas official advised The New York Instances it doesn’t have sufficient dwelling civilian hostages to adjust to a proposal to launch 40 folks over the following six weeks.
An Israeli official, in the meantime, advised the paper Hamas has proposed releasing half that quantity, below a narrower set of standards solely together with ladies and the aged, moderately than a broader standards Israeli had requested of hostages who’re wounded or in poor health.
