Doha [Qatar], July 24 : Hamas claimed that it handed its response to the Israeli ceasefire proposal to mediators, The Jerusalem Post reported on Thursday morning, following earlier indications to the contrary.
An Israeli official told The Jerusalem Post on Wednesday that Hamas has yet to deliver an official response to the proposal submitted a week ago and is now raising new demands on issues previously resolved.
At a Doha meeting with representatives from Qatar and Egypt on Tuesday, mediators shared Hamas's feedback with Hamas leaders. "This is not a serious response," the mediators told them, according to informed sources quoted by The Jerusalem Post. "Go back and draft a new one."
The mediators, as reported by The Jerusalem Post, declined to relay Hamas's response to Israel's proposed deal on Tuesday, citing that it was not a serious answer. A person familiar with the matter said, "If you don't return with a serious response, your problem will be with us - the mediators."
An Israeli official also noted that Hamas has backtracked on several key issues previously agreed upon, including humanitarian aid, the deployment of Israeli forces during the proposed 60-day ceasefire, and the number of Palestinian prisoners to be released, The Jerusalem Post reported.
According to Hamas's response on Tuesday, it is demanding that all humanitarian aid enter the Gaza Strip exclusively through the auspices of the United Nations.
Meanwhile, The Jerusalem Post has highlighted that the Trump administration conveyed to both Qatar and Egypt the urgency of pressuring Hamas to align more closely with the Israeli position. The proposed hostage deal includes the release of 10 Israeli hostages alongside the bodies of 18 Israelis killed by the terrorists.
Bishara Bahbah, US President Donald Trump's Palestinian-American mediator and envoy in Qatar, criticised Hamas's delays, saying they are "costing dozens of Palestinian lives every day." He added, "There is no convincing reason for the delay in responding, nor for demanding nonessential changes, especially considering this is a 60-day negotiation period with no casualties and no bloodshed, during which all details will be discussed."
Summing up the frustration, Bahbah stated, "Enough with the stalling and continued bloodshed. We must move forward toward a deal that enables all parties to negotiate under American guarantees in order to reach a permanent ceasefire."
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