White House national security advisor Jake Sullivan told reporters on Tuesday that the White House is still awaiting a response from the Palestinian Islamist organization Hamas about Israel’s ceasefire proposal that US President Joe Biden announced on Friday.
According to Sullivan, “We are waiting for a response from Hamas” via the Qatari intermediaries.
Sullivan also said that CIA Director Bill Burns would be in Doha to confer with Qatari mediators over the proposed Gaza truce. Israel and Hamas have been mediated in Gaza by Qatar.
On Tuesday, Qatar announced that it had given Hamas the Israeli cease-fire proposal, which was based on a three-phase plan put forth by Biden, and that the document now closely resembled the positions of both parties.
Hamas, which has controlled Gaza since 2007, maintained on Tuesday that it will not consent to any agreement unless Israel made a “clear” commitment to an end to hostilities and a full withdrawal from the region.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is contending with deep political splits at home on the truce proposal backed by the United States, has reiterated that there cannot be a lasting peace unless Hamas is destroyed.
As per the local health ministry, Israel’s attack on Gaza has resulted in over 36,000 deaths, extensive starvation, complete destruction of the enclave, and accusations of genocide, which Israel refutes.
The Israeli onslaught came after a Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, which, according to Israeli counts, resulted in 1,200 deaths and the kidnapping of 250 persons.
