As casualties in the Gaza war escalate, Hamas demands the implementation of Biden's ceasefire plan. | WPN World People News

As Palestinian civilians continue to seek shelter from new Israeli military actions, the armed group Hamas urged mediators in the Gaza conflict on the 11th to implement the ceasefire plan proposed by U.S. President Biden, rather than engage in further negotiations.

Hamas issued this statement a day after an Israeli airstrike on a school in Gaza City housing displaced Palestinians, resulting in 93 deaths. This was the deadliest incident since the war between Israel and Hamas broke out on October 7, last year. The strike, along with the assassination of a leader of a militant group allied with Iran, has raised concerns about the potential escalation of the Middle East conflict. International mediators have invited Israel and Hamas to resume talks, aiming to reach a ceasefire agreement and secure the release of hostages.

Israel has accepted invitations from the U.S., Qatar, and Egypt to participate in a new round of negotiations on the 15th. On the 11th, Hamas expressed a preference for implementing the ceasefire plan that Biden proposed on May 31, which was later endorsed by the United Nations Security Council, "rather than holding further rounds of negotiations or considering new proposals." Hamas "calls on mediators to present an implementation plan based on Biden’s vision and the United Nations Security Council resolution... and to force the [Israeli] occupiers to comply."

When Biden announced the plan, he described it as a three-phase "roadmap toward a lasting ceasefire and the release of all hostages," stating that it was proposed by Israel. However, subsequent mediation efforts have failed to reach an agreement. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has also been accused of prolonging the war for political gain.