Negotiations for a ceasefire and the release of Israeli hostages have stalled after Hamas rejected the latest proposals submitted by Israel, Qatar and Egypt, the CIA director said Thursday, placing blame for the lack of progress in talks. He said the blame lies squarely with Hamas. He led the October 7 attack on Israel.
Earlier this month, William J. Burns, director of the CIA and chief U.S. negotiator, traveled to Cairo to push what he called “a far-reaching offer” that Egyptian and Qatari negotiators had brought to Hamas. The proposal included a key Hamas demand: allowing some Gazans to return to the northern enclave.
Burns did not go into details of the proposal, but said Hamas has not accepted it so far.
Burns, speaking at the George W. Bush Presidential Center in Dallas, said he was “very disappointed to receive such a negative response from Hamas.” “It is that negative response that is currently preventing innocent civilians in Gaza from receiving the humanitarian relief they so desperately need.”
Last Sunday, the Israeli intelligence agency Mossad expressed regret that Hamas had rejected the proposal, claiming it proved Hamas was not interested in reaching an agreement.
Other U.S. officials said on condition of anonymity to discuss the delicate negotiations that Hamas does not have enough women and civilian hostages in its control to complete the first part of the deal, which would release 40 hostages in six weeks. He said that it suggests that. A large number of Palestinian prisoners of war will be repatriated.
A senior Hamas official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said there were not enough living civilian hostages meeting Israeli standards to reach the proposed figure of 40 hostages over six weeks. He accused Israel of trying to release captured soldiers for a lower price than the organization had demanded. Hamas said most soldiers would be released in the later stages of a ceasefire agreement.
In its latest proposal to negotiators, Hamas announced that it would not be able to survive as part of an initial six-week phased ceasefire agreement, according to two Israeli officials familiar with the matter who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive issue. They called for the release of less than 20 hostages. Israel had hoped the injured and sick hostages would be released, but Hamas had insisted on a much narrower definition, limiting it to the elderly and women, one of the officials said.
Burns helped lead talks last year that led to the release of about 100 hostages in exchange for a pause in fighting and the release of Palestinian prisoners. Burns said there was no guarantee that the current talks would be successful.
“And it's heartbreaking because you can see in very human terms what's at stake here too,” he said.
Burns also reiterated the Biden administration's intention to prevent Israel from escalating its conflict with Iran following last weekend's failed attack on Iran. Instead, he said, President Biden and other policymakers want “all of us to find a way to de-escalate the situation.”
“I know that the Israeli government, sitting here this afternoon, is considering its response to what happened last Saturday night,” Burns said. “And you know, it's their choice to react that way.”
But Burns said Israel “clearly demonstrated its superiority” by shooting down Iranian drones and missiles. He said that of the 330 drones and missiles launched by Iran, only four or five hit the ground in Israel.
“And none of them caused significant damage,” he said. “This is a reminder of the high quality of the Israeli military. This is a reminder of the fact that Israelis have friends, including the United States.”
