The White House on Tuesday said it is “evaluating” a response from Hamas on the cease-fire and hostage release proposal that ultimately seeks to end the fighting in Gaza that President Joe Biden said Israel sent the group nearly two weeks ago.
“We’re in receipt of this reply that Hamas delivered to Qatar and Egypt and we are evaluating it right now,” White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters on a call. “We have this response and we’re working our way through it and looking at it.”
Kirby added that the U.S. has been “eagerly awaiting” a response from Hamas.
The development comes one day after the U.N. Security Council agreed to a resolution pushed by the U.S. that urges Hamas to accept the plan laid out by Biden. Hamas welcomed the move by the U.N. Security Council in a statement but had yet to submit an official response to the plan, according to the U.S.
Kirby declined to go into any details on the administration’s reaction to Hamas’ response, emphasizing that the administration has “only just gotten it” and adding that he believes the Qataris and Egyptians -- the other two key players in negotiations -- are just evaluating it as well.
Hamas spokesman Jihad Taha said the response included “amendments,” the Associated Press reported.
In previously unscheduled remarks, Biden took to the White House State Dining Room more than a week ago to lay out a multi-stage proposal he said was already accepted by Israel aiming to ultimately facilitate an end to the fighting in Gaza.
The first phase would last six weeks and include a “full and complete” cease-fire, the release of women, the elderly and the wounded still being held hostage by Hamas and the freeing of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners in Israel. The next stage, which would be negotiated during the six-week cease-fire, would include a “permanent end to hostilities” and the release of all remaining hostages, which includes male soldiers. The last step is the movement toward a “major reconstruction” plan for Gaza that would include the return of the remains of dead hostages to their families.
The plan was submitted to Hamas via Qatar on May 30, Biden said.
There has since been confusion on where exactly Israel stands on the proposal but Biden administration officials have insisted the onus is on Hamas to accept the plan, including as recently as Tuesday morning when Secretary of State Antony Blinken told reporters while in Tel Aviv that “Everyone has said yes, except for Hamas.”
White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan on Sunday said he did not know whether Israel’s operation over the weeknd that saw the rescue of four hostages held by Hamas in Gaza will impact Hamas’ views on the cease-fire proposal. The Hamas-run health ministry said Israel’s operation to get the hostages killed more than 250 Palestinians.
In his remarks at White House more than a week ago, Biden declared that it was time for the war to end.
Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on Israel left about 1,200 people dead and sparked the monthslong war in Gaza. Biden has faced mounting pressure on the international stage and from some at home over his continued support of Israel as the Palestinian death toll has risen and the humanitarian crisis worsened in Gaza amid Israel’s retaliatory campaign.