The Palestinian movement Hamas has denied recent statements made by US President Joe Biden, which claimed that Hamas is retreating from the truce agreement in the Gaza Strip.
"We were deeply surprised and outraged by President Joe Biden's speech, in which he stated that the movement is allegedly backing away from the ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip. These statements are misleading and do not reflect Hamas's real position on the issue, as we seek an end to the aggression in Gaza," the group said in a statement published on their official Telegram channel.
Hamas also criticized US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who recently emphasized that the movement should accept the new truce proposal just as Israel did. "The latest version of the agreement is the complete opposite of what the parties agreed upon on July 2, indicating the US's tacit agreement with [Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu's terms and Washington's approval of his criminal plans for Gaza," the group stated.
Hamas further accused the US administration of biased assessments, arguing that "it is Netanyahu who has consistently obstructed the agreement by introducing new conditions and demands, which, they claim, is well known to Egyptian and Qatari mediators."
Hamas reaffirmed its commitment to the terms agreed upon on July 2, which were based on initiatives proposed by Biden and UN Security Council Resolution 2735. The group called on mediators to pressure Israel to adhere to this original agreement.A new round of consultations aimed at achieving a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and the release of hostages held by Hamas took place in Doha on August 15-16. A joint statement by Egypt, Qatar, and the US following these consultations described the talks as being conducted "in a positive atmosphere."
The US, with support from Qatar and Egypt, presented a proposal intended to narrow the differences between Hamas and Israel. However, Hamas claimed that the new US initiative only favors Israel's interests.The mediators agreed to hold the next meeting in Cairo before the end of the week. Technical groups will continue developing mechanisms to implement the main points of the agreement, including the exchange of hostages held in the Gaza Strip for Palestinians in Israeli prisons, as well as addressing the humanitarian situation in the enclave.
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Photo: Catholic Church England and Wales/Creative Commons 2.0
Based on materials from TASS