Talks to bring about a ceasefire and hostage deal that could stop the war in Gaza were thrown into doubt when Israel characterized a Hamas response to the latest proposal as a rejection, precipitating a blame game between the two sides.
Hamas had submitted its response to Qatari mediators, proposing amendments to the Israeli proposal, including a timeline for a permanent ceasefire and complete Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, a source with knowledge of the talks told CNN on Tuesday.
A diplomatic source familiar with ongoing negotiations, however, told CNN Wednesday that Hamas has neither accepted nor rejected the deal, and that framing the Hamas response as a rejection is misleading.
Speaking at a news conference in Doha on Wednesday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that “Hamas has proposed numerous changes to the proposal that was on the table” for a permanent ceasefire and release of the hostages. “Some of the changes are workable. Some are not,” he said, without providing further details.
Blinken said he discussed the changes with Egyptian and Qatari partners, but stressed that the proposed deal “was virtually identical” to a proposal that Hamas previously accepted.
“Hamas could have answered with a single word – yes,” he said, adding that as Hamas proposed more changes, he questioned whether the group is negotiating “in good faith.”
Teamwork, technical skills and physical fitness was put to the test in a competition between Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (REME) soldiers in the British Armys global response force.
Colchester-based 16 Air Assault Brigade Combat Team held a competition for its REME soldiers – who are responsible for maintaining and repairing vehicles and equipment – to celebrate the Corps patron saint St Eligius.
Thursdays (1 Dec) competition at Merville Barracks in Colchester saw seven teams first tested on their vehicle repair skills. Working against the clock, troops had to diagnose and fix several faults in a quad bike and then drive it around a circuit in reverse.
The Craftsmen then ran two miles in full kit carrying a 36lb rucksack, intended to replicate the final quick advance towards an objective during P Company, the test of physical and mental robustness soldiers must pass to serve in Airborne Forces. On crossing the finish line, troops found an SV truck needing to be pulled into position.
The fastest team across the four challenges was declared the winner, with 8 Parachute Field Company presented with the Lance Corporal James McCue Trophy, named in honour of a REME soldier killed while serving with the Brigade in Iraq in 2003.
“It’s time for the haggling to stop and a ceasefire to start. It’s as simple as that,” Blinken said.
Speaking alongside Blinken, Qatari Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani said that both Hamas and Israel have on different occasions been “counterproductive to the efforts.”
The Qatari official said that as a mediator, the Gulf state wants to “ensure that we bridge the gap between those two fundamental differences; between what Hamas wants as a permanent ceasefire, and what Israel wants as a hostage release and maybe a plan to continue the war.”
After submitting its response Tuesday, Hamas spokesman and political bureau member Osama Hamdan told Lebanon-based TV Al Mayadeen, the group was committed to achieving a ceasefire. “Our response is a clear reaffirmation of our commitment to the ceasefire and withdrawal from Gaza, a commitment we have consistently upheld,” Hamdan added.
