Hamas not ready to accept U.S.-backed Gaza cease-fire proposal

The Gaza-based terrorist group on Tuesday reportedly told officials from Egypt and Qatar that it was still interested in negotiating an end to the war. Still, it wouldn’t accept a U.S.-authored cease-fire proposal on its present terms. On Monday, the UN adopted the cease-fire resolution and echoed U.S. and international calls for a permanent end to hostilities.

What’s the story with this cease-fire proposal? Last month, U.S. President Joe Biden proposed a three-phase cease-fire plan that would end the hostilities in Gaza and allow humanitarian aid to flood into the region. The proposal would require Israel to gradually withdraw its soldiers from Gaza while Hamas gradually released the roughly 120 hostages still in its possession.

Biden initially credited Israel with authorship of the proposal. Still, days later, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said his country had not agreed to a cease-fire without the conditions being met. In a separate statement, his office said it wanted to bring all the hostages home but also remained committed to completely eradicating Hamas.

Even before the UN adopted the proposal, the United States issued a joint statement with several other countries calling for Israel and Hamas to adopt the cease-fire resolution proposed by Biden that aimed to end the war in Gaza.

Why is Hamas refusing to sign the cease-fire agreement? The Associated Press reported that Hamas officials were looking for Israel to provide more concrete assurances that it would implement its side of the cease-fire agreement. Negotiators from Qatar and Egypt were reviewing the proposal on Tuesday evening.

Dig deeper: Listen to Nick Eicher and Lindsay Mast’s discussion with William Indboden on The World and Everything in It podcast about the United Nations’ recent demonstrations of moral support for Palestinians.