Hamas leadership said Sunday that it will not attend cease-fire negotiations this week, insisting instead that the U.S. and allies submit an action plan to implement its cease-fire proposal agreed to last month.
The statement from Hamas, acquired by The Associated Press, urges the U.S., Egypt and Qatar to show how they can implement last month’s proposal “instead of going to more rounds of negotiations or new proposals that provide cover for the occupation’s aggression.”
President Biden insisted earlier Sunday that the cease-fire proposal is “still viable” despite some pushback from Israeli leaders.
“The plan I put together endorsed by the G7, endorsed by the … U.N. Security Council, et cetera, is still viable,” Biden said in a “CBS News Sunday Morning” interview. “And I’m working literally every single day to — and my whole team, to see to it that it doesn’t escalate into a regional war. But it easily can.”
Hamas leaders cited rising tensions in the region after Israel assassinated two top Hamas officials in Beirut and Tehran earlier this month. The group also noted that the Israeli military has killed hundreds of Palestinian civilians in airstrikes in recent days.
Biden, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Qatari leader Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani issued a joint statement last week urging Israel and Hamas to agree to a cease-fire and hostage-release deal currently on the table.
“The time has come to conclude the cease-fire and hostages and detainees release deal,” the leaders said in the statement last Thursday. “The three of us and our teams have worked tirelessly over many months to forge a framework agreement that is now on the table with only the details of implementation left to conclude.”
“There is no further time to waste nor excuses from any party for further delay,” they added. “It is time to release the hostages, begin the cease-fire, and implement this agreement.”
The proposed cease-fire talks were scheduled to begin Thursday, focused on a “final bridging proposal,” the three leaders said.
U.S. officials have hinted for weeks that talks are approaching the final stages, while some have admitted there are still key implementation details to be sorted out.
The deal for a cease-fire and the release of hostages would build upon a proposal from Biden in May, which would involve the most vulnerable hostages exchanged for Palestinian prisoners and a temporary cease-fire. Israeli troops would also be required to withdraw from densely populated areas in Gaza.
Miranda Nazzaro contributed.