Hamas announced its refusal Monday to the U.N.’s latest ceasefire proposal as it did not adhere to its “original position” on the issues, multiple outlets reported.
Hamas said Monday that they rejected the proposal because they were “sticking to [their] original position” of a complete ceasefire, full Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, the return of displaced Palestinians to all parts of Gaza and “a real exchange of prisoners,” The Times of Israel reported. (RELATED: RFK Jr. Comes Out Against Gaza Ceasefire)
Hamas’ public comments were made after the United Nations Security Council approved a resolution Monday calling for an “immediate and sustained cease-fire” as well as an unconditional release of hostages, the outlet noted. The United States claimed that Hamas’ rejection came prior to the United Nations resolution passing, the outlet reported.
Hamas blamed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for the lack of progress toward a ceasefire. “Netanyahu and his extremist government bear full responsibility for thwarting all negotiation efforts and obstructing reaching an agreement so far,” the terrorist organization said, according to The Times of Israel.
The Israeli Prime Minister’s Office accused Hamas of being the obstacle toward a ceasefire and said the terror organization’s demands are “delusional” in a tweet thread.
Israel will not address Hamas’s delusional demands. Israel will pursue and achieve its just war objectives: Destroying Hamas’s military and governmental capacities, release of all the hostages, and ensuring Gaza will not pose a threat to the people of Israel in the future.
— Prime Minister of Israel (@IsraeliPM) March 26, 2024
Netanyahu tweeted that “Hamas rebuffed all US offers for a compromise, while celebrating the Security Council’s resolution” and that “Hamas’s stance clearly demonstrates its utter disinterest in a negotiated deal and attests to the damage done by the UN Security Council’s resolution.”
Dr. Majed Al Ansari, a spokesman for Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said “The efforts are ongoing, they have not stopped. And the talks are ongoing, they have not stopped. And we have remained hopeful from day one,” according to a tweet by the Qatar Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Dr. @majedalansari Spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, during the weekly media briefing: The efforts are ongoing, they have not stopped. And the talks are ongoing, they have not stopped. And we have remained hopeful from day one.#MOFAQatar pic.twitter.com/OYxDzeEc5G
— Ministry of Foreign Affairs – Qatar (@MofaQatar_EN) March 26, 2024
A source told Reuters that the Israeli diplomats are still in Qatar — where negotiations are taking place — after Hamas’ refusal. A small team from Mossad, Israel’s version of the CIA, was returning to Israel over consultations on how the talks are progressing, Reuters reported.