Top Biden aide: Israel accepted ceasefire proposal, ‘ball is in Hamas’s court’

A response from Palestinian Islamist terror group Hamas on Israel’s ceasefire proposal that US President Joe Biden revealed on Friday is still being awaited, National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan tells reporters on Tuesday.

“We are waiting for a response from Hamas” through the Qatari mediators, Sullivan tells reporters during a briefing aboard Air Force One.

He also notes Biden acknowledged “Hamas may choose they think it’s just better to let the war and the suffering and the violence continue.”

“That wouldn’t be terribly out of character for a vicious and brutal terror group, but what we hope they do in the end is see that the best pathway to an end to this war, the return of all the hostages, a surge of humanitarian assistance, is to accept this proposal,” Sullivan adds.

“The onus is on Hamas and will remain on Hamas until we get a formal response from them.”

He also pushes back against a reporter who claimed both Israel and Hamas rejected the proposal.

“I take issue with the end of your question when you said Israel rejected the proposal. The prime minister’s own adviser went out publicly and said they accepted the proposal. They have reaffirmed that they have accepted the proposal… [it] is a proposal Israel accepted before and continues to accept today,” Sullivan says. “The ball is in Hamas’s court.”