Hamas is pushing for more specifics in ceasefire negotiations, leading to shifting goals, according to a senior Biden administration official. On May 6, when Hamas claimed to agree to a ceasefire deal, they were seeking a 12-week initial pause in fighting before a permanent ceasefire, effectively preventing Israel from resuming military operations.
“It will be difficult to get Israel to agree to automaticity that the ceasefire will become permanent,” the official said on Wednesday. The official previously told CNN that the proposed agreement was “pretty thin once you get past that first phase.”
There’s a detailed phase one, the official noted, but subsequent phases become progressively more ambiguous.
A separate diplomatic source informed CNN on Tuesday that Hamas’ response included amendments to the Israeli proposal, such as a timeline for a permanent ceasefire and the complete withdrawal of Israeli troops from the Gaza Strip.
UN Warns Over 1 Million Gazans Could Face Starvation by Mid-July
More than a million Palestinians could face starvation next month due to the ongoing conflict in Gaza, warned the United Nations’ relief chief.
The conflicts in Gaza and Sudan are pushing millions of people to the brink of starvation, according to the UN. “Only technicalities prevent famines from being declared, as people are already dying of hunger,” the UN stated ahead of the G7 summit in Italy this week.
Griffiths said over a million people in Gaza are “expected to face death and starvation by the middle of July.”
He emphasized that humanitarian aid is not a solution to these conflicts, urging G7 countries to use their political leverage and financial resources to ensure aid reaches all those in need. “The world must stop feeding the war machines that are starving the civilians of Gaza and Sudan. It is time to prioritize diplomacy that will restore people’s futures—and tomorrow, the G7 is at the helm,” Griffiths stated.