Netanyahu says he won’t agree to a deal that ends the war in Gaza, testing the latest truce proposal

Tel Aviv, Israel — The viability of a US-backed proposal to end the Eight-month war in Gaza was thrown into doubt on Monday after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he would only be willing to accept a “partial” ceasefire deal that did not end the war, comments that sparked an uproar among the families of the hostages held by Hamas.

In an interview broadcast Sunday night on Israeli Channel 14, a conservative pro-Netanyahu station, the Israeli leader said he was “prepared to make a partial deal – this is no secret – that will give us back part of the people.” . in reference to the approximately 120 hostages still being held in the Gaza Strip. “But we are committed to continuing the war after a pause, to complete the goal of eliminating Hamas. “I’m not willing to give that up.”

Netanyahu’s comments did not deviate dramatically from what he had previously said about the terms of a deal. But they come at a delicate time when Israel and Hamas appear to be increasingly estranged over the latest ceasefire proposal, and could represent another setback for mediators trying to end the war.

Netanyahu’s comments contrasted sharply with deal schemes detailed late last month by US President Joe Biden, who framed the plan as Israeli and referred to by some in Israel as “the Netanyahu deal.” His comments could f Further strain Israel’s ties with the United States.its main ally, which launched a major diplomatic push for the latest ceasefire proposal.

The three-phase plan would see the release of the remaining hostages in exchange for hundreds of Palestinians imprisoned by Israel. But Disputes and mistrust persist between Israel and Hamas on how the agreement is developing.

Hamas has insisted that it will not release the remaining hostages unless there is a permanent ceasefire and a full withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza. When Biden announced the latest proposal last month, he said it included both.

But Netanyahu says Israel is still committed to destroying Hamas’ military and governance capabilities and ensuring that it can never again carry out an October 7-style attack. A full withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza, where Hamas’s top leadership and much of its forces remain intact, would almost certainly leave the group in control of the territory and in a position to rearm.

In the interview, Netanyahu said that The current phase of fighting is ending.setting the stage for Israel to send more troops to its northern border to confront the Lebanese militant group. Hezbollah, in what could open a new war front. But he said that did not mean the war in Gaza was over.

On Monday, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant discussed tensions on the border with Lebanon during his trip to Washington with Amos Hochstein, a senior adviser to President Joe Biden. He echoed Netanyahu’s comments that the war in Gaza is moving into a new phase, which could affect other conflicts, including Hezbollah.

During the initial six-week phase, the sides are supposed to negotiate an agreement on the second phase, which Biden said would include the release of all remaining living hostages, including male soldiers, and Israel’s full withdrawal from Gaza. The temporary ceasefire would become permanent.

Hamas appears worried that Israel will resume the war once its most vulnerable hostages are returned. And even if it doesn’t, Israel could make demands at that stage of the negotiations that were not part of the initial agreement and that are unacceptable to Hamas, and then resume the war when Hamas rejects them.

Netanyahu’s comments reinforced that concern. After his issuance, Hamas said they represented an “unequivocal confirmation of his rejection” of the US-backed deal, which also received the support of the United Nations Security Council.

In a statement Sunday night after Netanyahu’s lengthy television interview, the Palestinian militant group said its position was “in contrast” to what the US administration said Israel had approved. The group said its insistence that any agreement should include a permanent ceasefire and the withdrawal of all Israeli forces from the entire Gaza Strip “was an inevitable necessity to block Netanyahu’s attempts to evade, deceive and perpetuate aggression.” and war.” of extermination against our people.”

Netanyahu responded, saying in a statement from his office that Hamas opposed a deal. He said Israel will not withdraw from Gaza until the 120 hostages are returned.

Hamas welcomed the broad outlines of the U.S. plan but proposed what it called “amendments.” US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, during a visit to the region earlier this month, said some of Hamas’ demands were “viable” and others were not, without elaborating.

Both Netanyahu and Hamas have incentives to keep the devastating war going despite the catastrophic toll it has taken on civilians in Gaza and the growing anger in Israel that after so many months Israel has not achieved its goals of returning the hostages and defeating Hamas.

The hostages’ families have grown increasingly impatient with Netanyahu, viewing his apparent reluctance to move forward with a deal as tainted by political considerations. A group representing the families condemned Netanyahu’s comments, calling them an Israeli rejection of the latest ceasefire proposal.

“This is an abandonment of the 120 hostages and a violation of the state’s moral duty towards its citizens,” he said, noting that he held Netanyahu responsible for returning all captives.

In their October 7 cross-border attack, Hamas-led militants killed 1,200 people and took 250 captive, including women, children and the elderly. Dozens of hostages were freed in a temporary ceasefire deal in late November, and of the remaining 120 hostages, Israeli authorities say about a third are dead.

Israel’s retaliatory war has killed more than 37,000 Palestinians, according to the Health Ministry in the Hamas-ruled territory. It has caused a humanitarian crisis and displaced most of the territory’s 2.3 million inhabitants.

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Magdy reported from Cairo.

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