In a statement published early Tuesday, Hamas announced that the latest deal proposed by Israel fell short of meeting their demands. The proposal was delivered to Hamas through Egyptian, Qatari, and American mediators. While Hamas expressed gratitude for the effort, they criticized Israel for being unyielding and failing to address the demands of the Palestinian people and their resistance.
Despite the perceived shortcomings of the proposal, Hamas reiterated its commitment to seeking an agreement that would halt the aggression against their people. The group stated that its leaders would carefully review the proposal and communicate their response to the mediators in due course.
Over the weekend in Cairo, CIA Director Bill Burns presented the new proposal, which reportedly includes a call for Israel to release a larger number of Palestinian prisoners in exchange for the anticipated release of 40 Israeli hostages as part of a three-stage ceasefire plan.
