Israel and Hamas appear far from cease-fire agreement

Geoff Bennett:

Tonight, Israel and Hamas appear to be far from any kind of cease-fire deal. That's despite Hamas' formal response to an Israeli backed proposal.

Amna Nawaz:

Today, the U.S. said that Hamas had requested changes to the three-stage proposal and questioned whether Hamas was negotiating in good faith.

Nick Schifrin continues to follow this all for us.

So, Nick, tell us more about what we heard from the U.S. today and what we know about Hamas' response.

Nick Schifrin:

Amna, there was a lot of he said/he said/he said today Israel, Hamas, and the United States, and, as you guys just put it, really no sign that Hamas and Israel are any closer to any kind of deal.

Today, Secretary of State Antony Blinken criticized Hamas for waiting nearly two weeks since President Biden laid out the details of this cease-fire to give this formal response that Hamas has given, and Blinken criticized Hamas for proposing changes that he said went beyond positions that Hamas previously took.

Antony Blinken, U.S. Secretary of State: Some of those are workable changes. Some, as I said, are not. I don't want to characterize it further, but at some point in a negotiation — and this has gone back-and-forth for a long time — if one side continues to change its demands, including making demands and insisting on changes for things that it had already accepted, you have to question whether they're proceeding in good faith or not.

Nick Schifrin:

So, clearly, Blinken questioning whether Hamas actually wanted any kind of cease-fire proposal. And U.S. officials have been doubting whether Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar in fact wanted an end to the war.

As for the changes themselves, Hamas suggested that it's looking for a timeline for both the permanent cease-fire, as well as the full withdrawal of Israeli troops. And, as we have been talking about, this proposal only requires Israel to go for a temporary cease-fire and for that temporary cease-fire to continue as long as the two sides are negotiated.

Hamas today, though, called its response responsible, serious and positive, and accused Blinken of seeing things — quote — "through an Israeli lens." But, as we have been talking also, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has not formally endorsed this plan, at least not in public. And an Israeli official told me today that Hamas — quote — "rejected the proposal," which it hasn't.

So, clearly a lot of negotiating in public and both sides trying to blame the other.

Geoff Bennett:

Yes.

Meantime, Nick, Lebanese Hezbollah launched this massive barrage into Israel. How much concern is there about an escalation of this war into Northern Israel?

Nick Schifrin:

There's a huge amount of concern, Geoff, among U.S. officials who have been working on this since October the 7th, because even if both sides leaders don't want war, the exchange of fire across the Lebanese border has been so large and so consistent, the chance of an unintended conflict has been very high.