State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller emphasized on Monday during a press briefing that currently Hamas is "the barrier and the obstacle to a ceasefire in Gaza."
The spokesman said that the group rejected the US' proposal that "would allow for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza of at least six weeks, which would benefit the Palestinian people whom they claim to represent. It would also allow us to continue improvements in the delivery of humanitarian assistance."
Earlier, Haaretz reported that Hamas had proposed a six-week ceasefire agreement. As part of the draft, the group requested the release of 30 Palestinian prisoners for every Israeli civilian and 50 Palestinians for each Israeli soldier.
