TEL AVIV, July 15. /TASS/. It is up to the radical movement Hamas to take the next step with regard to the talks on the draft agreement on Gaza proposed by US President Joe Biden, Dmitry Gendelman, an advisor to the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, told TASS.

"It is up to Hamas to take the next step as they should accept the deal supported by the US," he said. This includes "Israel’s right to continue the war until all of its goals are achieved," "the prevention of arms smuggling from the Sinai Peninsula" to the Gaza Strip, "the return of as many surviving hostages as possible in the first phase of the deal" and "a ban on Hamas militants’ return to the north of the Gaza Strip," Gendelman specified.

He added that "Israel has not in the least departed from the plan that was supported by President Biden." In particular, Israel "has neither added or removed a single condition," Gendelman said, noting that his country "will not allow Hamas to make any changes in the plan." Netanyahu’s advisor also said that "Hamas tried to introduce 29 changes to the plan presented [by Biden]," but the Israeli premier "rejected them."

On May 31, US President Joe Biden announced a three-phase plan aimed at peacefully resolving the situation in Gaza. The first phase, which is supposed to last six weeks, includes a complete ceasefire, the withdrawal of Israeli troops from populated areas and the liberation of hostages held by Hamas in exchange for the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners from Israeli jails. In addition, the parties are expected to begin talks during this phase, with the ceasefire remaining in effect until they reach an understanding. The second phase envisages the release of all hostages, including service members. The third stage will focus on the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip and the handover of the remains of the dead Israelis to their families.