White House Accuses Hamas of Unrealistic Demands, Threatens Response If Deadline Passes

Watan-The White House claimed today, Friday, that Hamas is making unrealistic demands in negotiations, preventing a permanent ceasefire agreement in Gaza.

In a statement issued by the office of Special Presidential Envoy Steve Witkoff and the National Security Council, the White House stated: “Hamas’s bet that time is on its side is a grave miscalculation because it is not. Hamas must understand that if the deadline for responding to our proposal expires, we will respond accordingly.”

The statement called on Hamas to implement the U.S. proposal presented by Witkoff and National Security Council Director for Middle East Affairs Eric Treger on Wednesday evening in Doha. The proposal includes a “plan to bridge the gaps, aiming to extend the ceasefire beyond Ramadan and Passover and allow time to negotiate a framework for a permanent ceasefire.”

White House Warns Hamas Over Ceasefire Deal

The statement further stated that “Hamas has been clearly informed through Qatari and Egyptian partners that this proposal must be implemented urgently and that the Israeli-American citizen Aidan Alexander must be released immediately. Unfortunately, Hamas has chosen to publicly claim flexibility while making unrealistic demands.” The statement also noted that former President Donald Trump made it clear that Hamas must release the hostages immediately or face severe consequences. The statement concluded: “Hamas must understand that we will respond if the deadline passes without a response.”

Earlier on Friday, Hamas announced that it had agreed to release an Israeli soldier who holds U.S. citizenship, in addition to four bodies of dual-nationality prisoners, in response to a new proposal to resume negotiations for a ceasefire in Gaza and a prisoner exchange.

In its statement, Hamas said it had handled the proposal “responsibly and positively” and had delivered its response early this morning, confirming its approval to release “the Zionist soldier Aidan Alexander, who holds U.S. citizenship, in addition to the remains of four others with dual citizenship.” Hamas also reaffirmed its full readiness to begin negotiations and reach a comprehensive agreement for the second phase of talks while calling for Israel to be held accountable for fully implementing its commitments.

On Thursday, the American news website Axios reported, citing four informed sources, that U.S. envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, had presented an updated U.S. proposal to extend the Gaza ceasefire for several weeks in exchange for Hamas releasing more detainees and resuming humanitarian aid deliveries to Gaza.

The sources confirmed that Witkoff presented the parties with an updated proposal on Wednesday, which includes extending the ceasefire in Gaza until after Ramadan and Passover, which ends on April 20, and resuming humanitarian aid deliveries to Gaza.

On Thursday evening, Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem stated that reports of new proposals regarding Gaza were “aimed at bypassing the agreement,” emphasizing that meetings with mediators in Doha were still ongoing.

In a statement on Telegram, Qassem reiterated that Hamas “remains committed to what was agreed upon, including the implementation of the second phase and its requirements, particularly the commitment not to return to war and the withdrawal from the entire Gaza Strip.” He also stressed Hamas’s demand that Israel implement its commitments, including withdrawing from Gaza and starting a withdrawal from the Philadelphi Corridor (Salah al-Din axis).

Qassem further stated that “Israel has not implemented the humanitarian protocol of the Gaza agreement.”