JERUSALEM: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that Hamas rejected all aspects of a Gaza ceasefire deal to free captives.
“Hamas rejected everything… “I hope that changes because I want those hostages out,” Netanyahu said a press conference, doubting a breakthrough a day after the State Department stated it was “time to finalise that deal”.
So “We’re trying to find some area to begin the negotiations,” Netanyahu remarked.
“They (Hamas) refuse to do that… (They said) there’s nothing to talk about.”
Netanyahu is under increased internal and international pressure to negotiate a deal to rescue Israeli prisoners after six corpses were found in a southern Gaza tunnel recently.
Netanyahu promised “not to give in to pressure” over the Philadelphi Corridor on the Egypt-Gaza border on Monday.
Hamas, whose October 7 assault on southern Israel triggered the conflict, wants Israel to leave the region as part of the delayed negotiations brokered by the US, Qatar, and Egypt.
Netanyahu repeated his Philadelphi Corridor stance but said it was not the only issue.
He added issues over how many Palestinian inmates would be released in return for hostages, whether Israel could veto release, and where released detainees should go remained unanswered.
“The whole thing has not been resolved,” stated.
According to Israeli officials, 1,205 persons died in Hamas’ October 7 strike, primarily civilians and some captives.
Israel’s retaliatory military onslaught in Gaza has killed at least 40,861 Palestinians, according to Hamas’ health ministry.
Most victims are women and children, says the UN rights office.
Netanyahu’s detractors have blamed him for hostages’ deaths during rallies in multiple Israeli towns this week for refusing to make peace concessions.
This week, US President Joe Biden suggested Netanyahu wasn’t trying hard enough to liberate the detainees.
