MOSCOW, September 10. /TASS/. Russia finds it difficult to assess US President Joe Biden’s peace initiative on settlement in the Middle East, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov told TASS, adding that the positions of Israel and Hamas do not connect at this point.

"As for Biden’s peace initiative: you should ask Biden himself [about the initiative’s viability]. I don’t know. Because the positions of Israel and Hamas do not connect at this point. We will keep working," the senior diplomat said.

On August 15-16, negotiations on a ceasefire in Gaza and liberation of Israeli hostages took place in Doha. The joint statement, adopted by Egypt, Qatar and the United States, said that the negotiations went in a positive atmosphere. The next round took place in Cairo on August 25. The Israeli delegation was led by Mossad Director David Barnea. The Hamas representative said that the movement’s delegation left Cairo after meeting with mediators from Egypt and Qatar, after demanding that they oblige Israel to fulfill the agreements, reached on July 2. On August 28, the mediators’ working groups met in Doha once again.

On September 2, Axios reported citing the US Administration that US President Joe Biden intends to present the final version of the ceasefire deal in the upcoming days. It is expected that Israel and Hamas will have one week to provide their responses to the new US proposal.