Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ruled out accepting a ceasefire proposal that would include ending the war in Gaza. Even though previously, the ruler had said that he endorsed a plan from the United States that will end the war.
Al Jazeera reported on Tuesday that the proposal, coming from Gaza, would be dismissed by Israel’s ruler. The report comes after U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with the Israeli leader on Monday to discuss efforts to reduce tensions, reach an agreement on a ceasefire, and release of hostages. Blinken claimed that Netanyahu had accepted the U.S. ceasefire proposal.
Meanwhile, on Tuesday, Netanyahu reportedly told hostage families that a ceasefire deal may not be reached and that the Israeli military will not relinquish control of the Gazan-Egyptian border, a key demand of the Palestinian militant group.
The Hostages Families Forum quoted Netanyahu as saying that Israel “will under no circumstances leave the Philadelphi axis and the Netzer Corridor” and that he was “not sure” a deal could be struck. The group accused Netanyahu of refusing any hostage deal, which seems like an accurate assessment.
Israel’s ruler has repeatedly promised to wipe Hamas off the map but has been unable to do so since the war broke out on October 7th, following an attack on Israeli civilians.
Israel Doubles Down On Its Goal To Eliminate Hamas
According to a report by RT, Netanyahu has reportedly insisted on maintaining Israeli Defense Forces troops along the Philadelphi Corridor, claiming “this is the one thing that causes Hamas to come down from its unreasonable demands.”
Hamas objected to the ceasefire proposal on the grounds that it doesn’t actually include a permanent ceasefire or comprehensive Israeli withdrawal from Gaza. Hamas claimed that Netanyahu has also reversed previous concessions and set new conditions for prisoner exchanges.
The massive Israeli military response to Hamas’ original attack back in October has claimed more than 40,000 lives, while over 92,000 people have been wounded, according to Palestinian health officials.
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