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Hamas Criticizes Blinken as Cease-Fire Deal Stalls


By Jim Thomas    |   Wednesday, 12 June 2024 04:23 PM EDT

Read more at https://www.newsmax.com/newsfront/hamas-antony-blinken-ceasefire/2024/06/12/id/1168518/

A Hamas spokesman accused U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken of being “part of the problem” as he urged the group to accept a cease-fire deal with Israel, Breitbart reported. The spokesman was not identified in the story. Blinken has been on a diplomatic mission in the Middle East following a United Nations Security Council resolution that formalized the Biden administration’s ceasefire and hostage release proposal, which Israel had accepted under U.S. pressure while maintaining its goal to dismantle Hamas’ military and governing capabilities.

The Biden administration has been pressing Hamas to accept the deal, urging countries with influence over the group to apply pressure. However, Hamas has continued to reject the proposal, demanding additional concessions. The State Department stated last week the current proposal is “virtually identical” to past Hamas proposals. As Breitbart News pointed out, Hamas had previously rejected similar plans when President Joe Biden announced the proposal.

Hamas’s primary objection is the lack of an explicit guarantee of a permanent cessation of hostilities from Israel. For weeks, the group has insisted on a written guarantee of a permanent ceasefire from the U.S.

Earlier this week, Hamas expressed approval of the U.N. Security Council resolution but emphasized the need for ongoing negotiations. Subsequently, the group released a formal statement on Tuesday outlining additional requirements, such as gaining authority over the Gaza-Egypt border.

Additionally, they sought adjustments to the schedule for the withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza.

On Wednesday, Blinken criticized Hamas’ response during a press conference in Doha with Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, the Times of Israel reported.

“Hamas has proposed numerous changes to the proposal that was on the table. Some of the changes are workable, some are not,” Blinken said. “A deal was on the table that was virtually identical to the proposal that Hamas made on May 6 — a deal that the entire world is behind, a deal Israel has accepted.

“Hamas could have answered with a single word: ‘Yes.’ Instead, Hamas waited nearly two weeks and then proposed more changes, a number of which go beyond positions that had previously been taken and accepted.”

On the other hand, Hamas refuted the notion that its demands were new.

Following his visit to Egypt, Israel, Jordan, and Qatar, Blinken is expected to return to the U.S. without securing a deal. He has vowed to continue efforts to broker an agreement.

Jim Thomas ✉

Jim Thomas is a writer based in Indiana. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Political Science, a law degree from U.I.C. Law School, and has practiced law for more than 20 years.

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International Politics

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Israeli Officials Puzzled by Biden’s Optimism on Cease-Fire Deal


By Jewish News Syndicate Staff    |   Tuesday, 27 February 2024 07:43 AM EST

Senior Israeli officials said on Tuesday that they were unaware of any basis for U.S. President Joe Biden’s remarks on Monday that a hostage-for-cease-fire agreement in Gaza is imminent. During an unannounced visit to Van Leeuwen Ice Cream in Manhattan, near Rockefeller Plaza, Biden was asked about when a cease-fire in Gaza might start.

“I hope by the end of the weekend,” Biden said, per the pool report.

“My national security adviser tells me that we’re close. We’re close. We’re not done yet,” Biden said. “My hope is by next Monday, we’ll have a cease-fire.”

Ynet quoted the senior Israeli officials as saying on Tuesday morning that they do not understand “what the American president’s optimism is based on.”

The Hamas terrorist group also weighed in on Biden’s comments, with a source telling Reuters that the statement was premature and did not align with the situation on the ground. “There are still big gaps that need to be bridged before there is a cease-fire,” he said.

A spokesman for the Qatari Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday that there has been no breakthrough in the negotiations that can be announced, while expressing that Doha is “optimistic” that a deal can be reached, even though Hamas and Israel don’t agree on any of the main issues. He added that Qatar has no intention of responding to Biden’s comments.

Reuters reported on Tuesday morning on the details of the proposal discussed at the Paris summit last weekend and submitted to Hamas for review. Citing a senior official privy to the details of the talks, the news agency reported that the proposal focuses on the first phase of the agreement, would last for 40 days and include the release of 10 Palestinian security prisoners for every Israeli hostage, which is seven more Palestinian terrorists freed per Israeli captive compared to the previous deal last November — 40 Israeli hostages in total for 400 Palestinian security prisoners in the first stage. Further, the Israeli captives include women, abductees aged 19 and under, adults aged 50 and over and sick captives.

Both sides will cease fire for 40 days and the IDF patrol flights over Gaza will stop for 8 hours a day. After the first phase, the IDF will gradually begin to withdraw its forces from dense areas of the Strip. Additionally, displaced Palestinians will gradually be allowed to return to the northern Gaza Strip, except for men of enlistment age for Hamas.

With regard to humanitarian aid, the proposal reportedly includes a commitment to bring in 500 aid trucks every day and to supply 200,000 tents and 60,000 trailers. Also, Gazans will be allowed to rehabilitate bakeries and hospitals.

According to The New York Times, the 40 captives to be released in the first phase in exchange for 15 Palestinian prisoners convicted of terror offenses would include five IDF soldiers and 35 civilians, including seven women who Israel believes should have been freed in the November deal. To release the seven women, Israel offered to release 21 Palestinian prisoners under the previous deal.Republished with permission from Jewish News Syndicate.

Read more: Israeli Officials Puzzled by Biden’s Optimism on Cease-Fire Deal | Newsmax.com

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International Politics, War

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Trump Announces Deal That Adds 8,000 US Jobs in Tech Industry


waving flag

Authored By Jason Devaney   |   Wednesday, 28 Dec 2016

URL of the original posting site: http://www.newsmax.com/Politics/trump-deal-thousands-us/2016/12/28/id/765942/

Image: Trump Announces Deal That Adds 8,000 US Jobs in Tech Industry

President-elect Donald Trump announced Wednesday Sprint and a new company, One Web, will add 8,000 jobs in the United States. During brief remarks from his Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Fla., Trump spoke about the news to assembled reporters.

“I was just called by the head people at Sprint. They are going to be bringing 5,000 jobs back to the United States,” Trump said. “They are taking them from other countries. They are bringing them back to the United States.

“Also, One Web, a new company, is going to be hiring 3,000 people. That’s very exciting.”

Trump also recently announced an American job-creating deal with SoftBank Corp., which owns Sprint. Trump said Wednesday that SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son helped broker the deal regarding Sprint.

“A terrific guy. We appreciate it,” Trump said of him.

Mediaite captured video of Trump’s remarks.

On the eve of a meeting between Trump and business leaders of the tech industry earlier this month, IBM announced plans to hire 25,000 people in the U.S. and invest $1 billion over the next four years.

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