Hamas torpedoes US ceasefire proposal – media
Hamas has rejected a renewed US proposal to help finalize a Gaza hostage and ceasefire deal, accusing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of sabotaging negotiations and Washington of indulging him, Middle Eastern news outlets reported on Sunday, citing an official statement from the militant group.
The statement was issued following the latest round of talks in the Qatari capital, Doha last week involving officials from Israel, Qatar, the US, and Egypt. Hamas skipped the negotiations, citing the absence of a clear plan. A senior Hamas official told the BBC on Thursday that the group would “not engage in negotiations for the sake of negotiations.”
In its latest statement, Hamas held Netanyahu completely responsible for thwarting the mediation efforts and derailing the agreement. The group said the new demands do not meet its conditions regarding the release of prisoners.
“Netanyahu is setting new conditions to sabotage the negotiations, including continued control over the Philadelphi route, the Rafah Crossing, and the Netzarim corridor,” the statement reads. The withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza, including from the border with Egypt, are key conditions for Hamas to accept any agreement.
The Israeli prime minister, who told cabinet ministers earlier on Sunday that he was pessimistic about the chances for a deal, quickly shot back, saying West Jerusalem will not give in to Hamas’ demand to end the war in Gaza as a condition for a deal.
“The Prime Minister has strongly insisted on this fundamental demand, which is vital to achieving the goals of the war, and Hamas changed its position,” a statement from Netanyahu’s office said on Sunday, adding that he would keep working on advancing a deal to have the maximum number of hostages returned and “achieving of all of the war objectives.”
Other key roadblocks in the talks include Israel’s insistence on controlling the border between Gaza and Egypt, having a veto over which Palestinian prisoners are released, and preventing the movement of armed men from southern Gaza to the north.
Renewed hostilities between Israel and Hamas broke out on October 7, after the militant group launched a surprise incursion into southern Israel from Gaza, resulting in the deaths of around 1,100 people, while 200 others were taken hostage. The massive Israeli military response has claimed more than 40,000 lives, while another 92,609 people have been wounded, according to Palestinian health officials.
