Hamas’s chief negotiator called on the United States on Thursday (September 5, 2024) to push Israel for a ceasefire in Gaza, accusing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of hindering peace in the Palestinian region.
“If the U.S. administration and President Biden truly want to achieve a ceasefire and finalize a prisoner exchange agreement, they must let go of their biased support for the Zionist occupation and apply real pressure on Netanyahu and his government,” stated Khalil al-Hayya, based in Qatar, in a video message.
Despite months of negotiations facilitated by Washington, Doha, and Cairo, efforts to end the conflict in Gaza and arrange a hostage and prisoner swap have been unsuccessful so far.
Hamas and Israel have been blaming each other for the stalled negotiations, with the pressure for a resolution mounting after Israeli authorities confirmed on Sunday the deaths of six hostages whose bodies were recovered from a tunnel in Gaza.
Netanyahu claimed that the militant group had rejected all proposals in the indirect talks, stating on Wednesday that Israel was “seeking a starting point for negotiations.”
“They [Hamas] are unwilling to cooperate… [They have said] there is nothing to discuss,” he added.
Netanyahu’s insistence on retaining control of the Philadelphi Corridor along the Gaza-Egypt border has recently become a major point of contention.
On Thursday, Hayya accused the Israeli prime minister of trying to “avoid reaching a ceasefire agreement.”
Published – September 05, 2024 10:04 pm IST
