Beirut, June 7 (RHC)-- The Palestinian resistance movement Hamas says a so-called ceasefire deal that has been prosposed by U.S. President Joe Biden consisted of “just words,” which have not been backed by any written commitment on the part of Washington. Osama Hamdan, the movement’s senior representative in Lebanon, made the remarks in the country’s capital Beirut on Thursday.
Earlier this week, Biden laid out the three-phase “ceasefire proposal” that was supposedly meant to bring about cessation of a genocidal war that the Israeli regime has been waging against the Gaza Strip.
The regime launched the war on October 7 when Gaza’s resistance groups launched Al-Aqsa Storm, a retaliatory operation against the occupied territories, during which hundreds were taken captive.
At least 36,654 Palestinians have been killed, most of them women and children, and another 82,959 individuals have sustained injuries in the war. More than 1.7 million people have been internally displaced during the brutal military onslaught as well.
Biden’s “proposal” included an exchange of Israeli captives for Palestinian prisoners, evacuation of Israeli forces from Gaza, and rebuilding of the devastated coastal territory. Hamdan, however, said, "There is no proposal -- they are just words said by Biden in a speech."
"So far, the Americans have not presented anything documented or written that commits them to what Biden said in his speech," the Hamas’ official added.
Egypt and Qatar have been mediating negotiations aimed at conclusion of a ceasefire agreement following one in November, during which Hamas released 105 of the captives. The countries proposed another proposal last month enabling cessation of the Israeli aggression and release of the rest of the captives.
Hamas agreed to the proposal, which was spurned by the Israeli regime. Hamdan also said Biden "tried to cover up the Israeli rejection" of the deal.