(MENAFN) Sami Abu Zuhri, head of Hamas's political department abroad, criticized US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken's recent remarks, characterizing them as "inaccurate" and reflective of Blinken's perceived alignment with Israel rather than the United States. Abu Zuhri accused Blinken of attempting to pressure Hamas while absolving Israel of responsibility. He made these assertions in an interview with Reuters, where he also mentioned ongoing discussions within Hamas regarding the latest ceasefire proposal.
Abu Zuhri further asserted that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, as confirmed by the Israeli negotiating team, is impeding the progress towards a ceasefire agreement. He revealed that Hamas had received an official response from Israel a few days prior, which is currently under review by the organization's leadership.
These statements by Abu Zuhri follow Blinken's declaration that Hamas is solely responsible for the lack of agreement with Israel. Blinken reiterated this stance during his meeting with Israeli President Isaac Herzog, emphasizing the urgency of returning kidnapped individuals to their families and stressing that there are active proposals on the table with no room for delay or excuses.
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