United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken noted that Hamas should readily agree to a ceasefire deal with Israel, but he stressed uncertainty regarding the motives of the group’s leadership in the Gaza Strip.
During his late intervention at the McCain Institute’s Sedona Forum, Blinken stated that while Hamas claims to represent the Palestinian people, their hesitation to accept the ceasefire raises questions about their true intentions. “If it is true, then taking the ceasefire should be a no-brainer […] But maybe something else is going on, and we’ll have a better picture of that in the coming days,” he said referring to Hamas’ return to Cairo to negotiate. Earlier he said that Hamas negotiators with whom they have contact live outside Gaza, making agreements with those inside the Strip more difficult to achieve
Blinken: US does not have contact with Hamas in Gaza
United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken said mediators between Israel and Hamas have only engaged with the Hamas political wing, which operates outside Gaza.
“The ultimate decision-makers are the folks who are actually in Gaza itself with whom none of us have direct contact,” he said in a speech at the McCain Institute.
Blinken repeated the assertion that Hamas “is the only thing standing between the people of Gaza and a ceasefire.” He also reiterated that the US cannot support Israel’s ground operation in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip as Israel has not provided a plan to protect civilians.