Secretary of State Antony Blinken vowed on Wednesday, June 12, to keep pressing to seal a Gaza ceasefire deal, saying that not all Hamas demands were acceptable but voicing hope that gaps could be closed.
Consulting with key mediator Qatar on the Hamas response to President Joe Biden's plan, Blinken said Hamas could have given a "clear and simple yes" but voiced guarded hope for moving forward. Of the demands of Hamas, Blinken said "some of the changes are workable, some are not."
"We're determined to try to bridge the gaps. And I believe those gaps are bridgeable," Blinken said. "That doesn't mean they will be bridged because, ultimately, Hamas has to decide," he said. "The longer this goes on, the more people will suffer, and it's time for the haggling to stop."
Hamas proposed amendments late Tuesday including a ceasefire timeline and the complete withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza, according to a source familiar with the talks. The plan US President Joe Biden laid out on May 31 calls for an Israeli withdrawal from "major population centers" and a ceasefire for six weeks, which could then be extended if negotiators need more time to seek a permanent deal.
Blinken declined to elaborate on the Hamas demands. He reiterated that Israel was behind the ceasefire, although Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has not formally endorsed it and has far-right government members who have vowed to stop the deal.
Blinken, concluding his latest crisis trip to four countries including Israel, also highlighted a key concern of the United States with its ally – that it does not have a plan for what happens after the war. "In the coming weeks, we will put forward proposals for key elements of day-after planning," Blinken said. Blinken said the proposals would cover how to handle governance, security and reconstruction.
The US top diplomat also said a Gaza ceasefire deal would have a major effect lowering tensions. "There's no doubt in my mind that the best way also to empower a diplomatic solution to the north – in Lebanon – is a resolution of the conflict in Gaza and getting a ceasefire. That will take a tremendous amount of pressure out of the system," Blinken told reporters in Doha.