Hamas spokesman Hazem Kassem was cited by Maariv on Thursday as saying, "American envoy Jason Greenblatt's attack on Hamas and its leadership, and its demand that the movement surrender its weapons, are a continuation of the American partnership with the occupation, with aggression against our people, provide coverage for its crimes, use the terms of the occupation itself, and prove his participation in the Israeli propaganda apparatus, which justifies the continuation of the cruel Israeli siege on the Gaza Strip."
In a Wednesday Twitter tweet, Greenblatt said ideas expressed by Hamas leader Yahya Al-Sinwar in a recent speech were "monstrous", adding, "This only hurts the Palestinians of Gaza. This old-line of thinking and ideology hurts all Palestinians. This can cause the situation to escalate and many lives could be lost. Will Hamas ever learn? Hamas must relinquish its control of Gaza to the PA and disarm. If it wants to join the REAL world, it must renounce violence, recognize Israel, and decide to abide by past agreements."