Welcome to the news hour. Tonight Israel and Hamas appear to be far from any kind of

ceasefire deal that's despite Hamas's formal response to an Israeli-backed

proposal. Today the US said that Hamas had requested changes to the three-stage proposal

and questioned whether Hamas was negotiating in good faith.

Nick Schifering continues to follow this all for us.

So Nick, tell us more about what we heard from the US today

and what we know about Hamas's response.

Ahmed, there was a lot of he said, he said today,

Israel, Hamas, and the United States.

And as you guys just put it, really no sign

that Hamas and Israel are any closer to any kind of deal.

Today, Secretary of State Anthony Blinkin

criticized Hamas for waiting nearly two weeks

since President Biden laid out the details of this ceasefire

to give this formal response that Hamas is given.

And Blinken criticized Hamas for proposing changes that he said went beyond positions that Hamas previously took.

Some of those are workable changes. Some, as I said, or not. I don't want to characterize it further, but you know at some point in a negotiation

and this has gone back and forth for a long time. If one side continues to change its demands, including making demands and insisting on

changes for things that had already accepted, you have to question whether they're

proceeding in good faith or not.

So clearly blink and questioning whether Hamas actually wanted any kind of ceasefire proposal.

And U.S. officials have been doubting whether Hamas leader Yaya Sinwar in fact wanted an end to the war.

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