US mulling next steps as Hamas adds demands for ceasefire - report
Frustration grows at both Israel and Hamas as demands are being added for a ceasefire – the group is now requiring Palestinian terrorists with life sentences to be released for Israeli civilians
US President Joe Biden's months-long efforts to reach a ceasefire agreement and release of hostages have been challenged again in recent days by additional Hamas demands, The Washington Post reported Sunday.
Officials in the administration are mulling the next steps to bring the sides together for a deal, seeking to present a new ceasefire proposal in the coming days.
Both sides tentatively agreed that Palestinian terrorists serving life sentences would be released in exchange for Israeli soldiers held by Hamas, but now the terrorist group is demanding that these prisoners be released in exchange for civilians held captive.
A senior US official said this demand was a "poison pill" for Israel.
"Most days, it’s pretty clear the Americans are working much harder than the Israeli government is working at this," said Senator Chris Murphy, a Connecticut Democrat and member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
He blamed "the political calculations" made by both Hamas and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The Biden administration sees a ceasefire as a key goal as November elections approach, and will apparently continue pushing despite formulating a "take it or leave it" proposal in the coming days.
Some officials want Biden to increase pressure on Netanyahu, who Biden said is not doing enough to secure the release of the hostages.
Netanyahu has vowed to remain in the Philadelphi Corridor, a chokehold for smuggling into the southern Gaza Strip. An earlier proposal in May, which both sides viewed positively, was made before Israel had entered Rafah and taken control of the area.
A report last week also said that Hamas is patiently stretching out the negotiations, aiming at marginalizing Israel's standing in the international community to push negotiators to get the best possible deal for the terror group.