The US State Department have officially confirmed that Hamas has rejected President Joe Biden’s efforts to broker peace in Gaza.

“Hamas gave us a written response that rejected the proposal that had been put forward by Israel, that President Biden had outlined, that the United Nations Security Council and countries all around the world had endorsed,” State Department spokesman Matthew Miller told the press on Tuesday.

While Miller refrained from releasing the text of Hamas’s response due to the sensitive nature of the talks, he did confirm that it included a written rejection and counter-proposal.

According to Reuters, Hamas’ rejection came with a list of demands, including explicit written guarantees from the US forcing comprehensive Israeli withdrawals from Gaza and the mass release of dangerous Arab prisoners.

Biden first revealed his plans for a phased ceasefire during his State of the Union address back in April, where he also raised expectations of a humanitarian aid pier off the coast of Gaza that ended up being a costly disaster.

The first phase reportedly called for a gradual release of the living Israeli hostages currently held captive in Gaza and an initial withdrawal of Israeli forces from certain parts of the enclave. In the second phase, efforts would be made to solidify a permanent ceasefire, complete the full withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza, and secure the release of hundreds of violent Arab prisoners being held by Israel.

The third and final phase envisioned the reconstruction and rebuilding of areas in Gaza that were damaged during the war, as well as the return of deceased hostages back to Israel.

In reality, Hamas’s rejection of Biden’s proposal should come as no surprise as it reflects their violent desire to see Israel destroyed from the “river to the sea.”