US Secretary of State Antony Blinken revealed on Wednesday that Hamas has not been actively participating in the ceasefire and hostage negotiations in recent weeks. Blinken emphasized that there are only a few outstanding issues that need to be resolved to reach a potential agreement.
Blinken stated, 'We have a piece of paper with an agreement. It contains 18 paragraphs, with 15 of those paragraphs already agreed upon by Hamas and Israel.' However, he expressed frustration that Hamas has not been willing to engage in discussions on the remaining unresolved issues, which are crucial for finalizing the deal.
Highlighting the importance of Hamas's involvement in the negotiations, Blinken pointed out that their absence from the table has hindered progress towards reaching a comprehensive agreement. He acknowledged that Israel would also face challenging decisions in the final stages of the negotiation process.
Recent reports indicated that senior US officials have scaled back their efforts in pushing for a ceasefire, citing a lack of political will from both Hamas and Israel to bring an end to the conflict. The stalemate in negotiations has led to a temporary halt in the active pursuit of a resolution.
