Hamas says Biden’s comments on Gaza peace talks “misleading”

GAZA, Aug. 20 (Xinhua) — Hamas on Tuesday called U.S. President Joe Biden’s statements about the movement backing away from the ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip “misleading.”
Hamas said in a statement that it viewed Biden’s claims with “great astonishment and disapproval,” noting that they “do not reflect the true position of the movement, which is keen to reach a cessation of aggression.”
It added that the statements are part of American bias toward Israel and a renewed American green light for the Israeli government to “commit more crimes against defenseless civilians in pursuit of the goals of exterminating and displacing our people.”
It mentioned that mediators in Qatar and Egypt know Hamas has dealt positively and responsibly in all previous rounds of negotiations and that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has always been the one to “obstruct reaching an agreement by setting new conditions and demands.”
In the statement, Hamas reaffirmed its commitment to what was agreed upon with mediators on July 2, based on Biden’s declaration and the UN Security Council resolution, and called on the mediators to fulfill their responsibilities and urge the occupation to accept it.
On Monday night, Biden accused Hamas of “backing away” from a hostage deal with Israel that would halt the ongoing fighting in Gaza, Israeli media reported.
Biden said after delivering a keynote to the Democratic National Convention, “It’s still in play, but you can’t predict,” and “Israel says they can work it out… Hamas is now backing away,” according to Israeli media. ■