Hamas denies proposing new ideas for Gaza ceasefire proposal

Hamas on Wednesday denied claims that it proposed new ideas for the UN-backed ceasefire proposal in the Gaza Strip.

Senior Hamas official Osama Hamdan told pan-Arab Al-Araby TV that he reiterated Hamas' stance that it was Israel that was rejecting proposals and accused the U.S. administration of going along with its close ally.

Another anonymous Hamas source told Xinhua news agency that, "All we did was reaffirming our commitment to what was presented on May 5 by the mediators, and we did not discuss any new ideas or proposals."

The source also claimed that the proposal includes clauses allowing Israel to resume the war after the second phase if the negotiations do not yield positive results.

The denials came in response to a statement by U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken who said Hamas had suggested numerous "changes" to the ceasefire and hostage deal.

Earlier in the day, Blinken told a press conference in Qatar that some of the changes Hamas proposed are "workable," and some are not, without providing additional details on the changes requested by Hamas.

"He continues to talk about Israel's agreement of the latest (ceasefire) proposal, but we have not heard any Israeli official speak out on this," Hamas later issued a statement, calling on Washington to put "direct pressure" on Israel to accept a permanent ceasefire in the territory.

Hamas has been seeking a permanent ceasefire, the withdrawal of the Israeli army from the Gaza Strip, the return of displaced people to their homes, the reconstruction of Gaza and the end of the blockade.

On Tuesday, Israeli officials confirmed that Israel had received Hamas's response to the U.S.-drafted proposal for a ceasefire-hostage release deal but said the movement had rejected it.

However, Blinken did not explicitly characterize the Hamas response as a rejection on Wednesday as Israel did, adding that mediators were still committed to bridging the gaps, even though Hamas' position had complicated matters.

"In the days ahead, we are going to continue to push on an urgent basis – with our partners, with Qatar, with Egypt – to try to close this deal," Blinken said at the press conference.

(With input from agencies)