Ahead of renewed hostage-truce talks, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office issues a numbered list of four demands it says are non-negotiable, as mediators prepare to meet this week in Cairo and Doha.
The list declares that:
1. “Any deal will allow Israel to return to fighting until its war aims are met.”
2. “Weapons smuggling to Hamas from the Gaza-Egypt border will not be possible.”
3. “The return of thousands of armed terrorists to the northern Gaza Strip will not be possible.”
4. “Israel will maximize the number of living hostages who will be returned from Hamas captivity.”
The statement states that Netanyahu’s refusal to stop the IDF ground operation in Rafah “is what brought Hamas back to the negotiating table,” and that Netanyahu “continues to stand firmly behind the principles that have already been agreed by Israel.”
The statement concludes that the “framework that was agreed by Israel and was welcomed by President Biden will enable Israel to return hostages without harming the other aims of the war.”
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From the Liveblog of
Sunday, July 7, 2024
