Hamas accuses US of ‘buying time for Israel’ in Gaza ceasefire talks

Hamas has said a ceasefire deal must result in a permanent end to Israel’s war on Gaza, accusing the United States of “merely buying time for Israel to continue its genocide” by proposing an amended accord.

As the Palestinian group revealed details of Israel’s new conditions, it urged the world to pressure Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to sign the deal proposed by US President Joe Biden on May 31 and backed by the United Nations Security Council on June 11.

‘Bridging proposal’

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in Tel Aviv on Monday that he had “a very constructive meeting” with Netanyahu, who “confirmed to me that Israel accepts the bridging proposal“.

The US put forward the latest proposal last week after new talks in Qatar’s capital Doha.

Hamas said the new proposal meets Netanyahu’s conditions, including his refusal of a ceasefire and a complete troop withdrawal from Gaza, and his insistence on keeping control of the Netzarim Corridor, which separates the north and the south of the enclave, the Rafah border crossing and the Philadelphi Corridor that borders Egypt.

Blinken visited Egypt’s Mediterranean city of El Alamein on Tuesday for talks with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi at his summer palace.

El-Sisi warned him of the risk of Israel’s war on Gaza expanding regionally in a way “difficult to imagine”, according to a statement issued by the Egyptian presidency. “It is time to put an end to the ongoing Gaza war,” el-Sisi was quoted as saying.

Hussein Haridy, Egypt’s former assistant foreign minister, told Al Jazeera before the two met that Egypt opposes the Israeli aim of maintaining control over the Rafah crossing and the Philadelphi Corridor.

“Egypt has always rejected the permanent Israeli military presence in the Philadelphi Corridor as well as Israeli control over Palestinian side of the Rafah crossing,” Haridy said. “This remains the Egyptian position.”