US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Tuesday that the Gaza ceasefire deal needs to get done in the coming days.
Speaking to reporters in Doha, Blinken said the United States, Egypt and Qatar will do everything possible to get Hamas on board with the “bridging proposal.”
He added that once Hamas agrees to the proposal presented by Washington to tackle disagreements blocking a deal, they would also have to get agreement on the implementation details.
The US has long said it does not accept a long-term occupation of Gaza by Israel, Blinken stated.
The Secretary of State also said that negotiators on the Gaza deal must be given "maximum flexibility" to reach an agreement.
Pressed on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s statements that the IDF will not retreat from the Netzarim corridor and the Philadelphi corridor, Blinken replied, “The agreement is very clear on the schedule and locations of IDF withdrawals from Gaza. Israel has agreed to that. That’s as much as I know, that’s what I’m clear about.”
Blinken visited Israel on Monday and met Netanyahu. In a statement to the media after the meeting, Blinken said that Netanyahu told him that he accepts the ceasefire deal proposed by the US last week and that they are now waiting to hear that Hamas has done the same.
"There is a real sense of urgency in the region to get the deal to the finish line and the US is deeply committed to getting the deal done now," he said.
Hamas senior official Osama Hamdan later criticized Blinken's statement, saying it "raises many ambiguities" because it is "not what was presented to us nor what we agreed on."
He added that Hamas has already confirmed to mediators that "we don't need new Gaza ceasefire negotiations, we need to agree on an implementation mechanism."
On Sunday, Hamas officially announced that it is rejecting the proposal for an agreement for the release of hostages and a ceasefire as presented at the summit in Doha, Qatar.
"The proposal completely meets Netanyahu's conditions and especially his refusal to a permanent ceasefire and a complete withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, and his insistence on continuing to occupy the Netzarim axis, the Rafah crossing and the Philadelphi Corridor. It also adds new conditions regarding the exchange of prisoners, and a withdrawal of the Israeli position in other sections, which prevents the success of the deal," Hamas said.
The terrorist organization also stated that "Hamas places full responsibility on Netanyahu for the failure of the efforts of the mediators, and the failure to reach an agreement, as well as the full responsibility for the lives of the hostages, who face the same dangers that the Palestinians face due to the war."
Hamas demanded a complete withdrawal of the IDF from the Philadelphi Corridor and a minimal release of living hostages.