Hamas figure says 'no one has any idea' how many hostages left alive
Hamas criticized US Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s recent remarks on the cease-fire and blamed Israel for the failure to reach a deal, while a senior official said the group wants more clarity on the Biden administration proposal.
Hamas wants a “clear position” from Israel on a withdrawal from Gaza before a cease-fire can take hold, a senior official said on Thursday, as US-led efforts to reach a truce stall.
Osama Hamdan, a Lebanon-based member of Hamas’ Arab and Islamic relations bureau, gave an interview to CNN about the cease-fire talks. He said that Hamas wants to know that Israel will accept a cessation of hostilities and a full withdrawal from the Gaza Strip before a deal can be reached.
“We need a clear position from Israel to accept the cease-fire, a complete withdrawal from Gaza and let the Palestinians determine their future by themselves,” Hamdan told CNN in Beirut.
US President Joe Biden unveiled his cease-fire proposal late last month. The plan calls for a “permanent end to hostilities” as part of a three-phase plan that includes the release of hostages and Palestinian political prisoners, an Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and reconstruction in the enclave.
