Israel has rejected any modifications to the ceasefire deal in the Gaza Strip announced by U.S. President Joe Biden on May 31. The Times of Israel reported that this rejection came after reports indicated that the White House was working on a new formulation for the hostages and ceasefire deal. An Israeli official stated, “Israel is committed to the terms of the proposal endorsed by Biden; there is absolutely no change in its position.” The official added, “So far, Israel has not received a response from Hamas regarding this offer.”
The American news site Axios cited three informed sources saying that the United States proposed a new formulation to parts of the proposed ceasefire agreement in Gaza and the release of hostages between Israel and Hamas in an attempt to advance the stalled agreement. The sources noted that the new proposal aims to bridge the gaps between Israel and Hamas and reach an accord.
The sources explained that “the efforts being made by the United States in cooperation with Qatari and Egyptian mediators focus on Article Eight of the proposal, which pertains to negotiations that are supposed to begin between Israel and Hamas during the implementation of the first phase, to determine the precise conditions for the second phase of the agreement, which includes achieving sustainable calm in Gaza.” According to the sources, Hamas wants these negotiations to focus solely on the number and identity of Palestinian prisoners to be released from Israeli jails in exchange for each living Israeli soldier or hostage held in Gaza. However, the movement has repeatedly announced that it will not finalize any deal unless it includes a complete end to the war and a full withdrawal of the Israeli army from the Gaza Strip.
