PMO: Hamas is rejecting the hostage deal offer on the table, not Israel
After Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu tells Channel 14 that he will agree to temporarily pause fighting in Gaza for the release of some hostages, but won’t end the war until Hamas is destroyed, the Prime Minister’s Office says it is Hamas that is rejecting the deal on offer, not Israel.
“Hamas is the one opposing the deal, not Israel,” the PMO says. “Netanyahu made it clear that we will not leave Gaza until we return all 120 of our hostages, both living and dead.”
Netanyahu’s comments to Channel 14 would appear to contradict the terms of Israel’s latest ceasefire and hostage deal proposal, some of whose details were presented by US President Joe Biden last month, which reportedly provides for a temporary ceasefire in the first phase of the deal, to be extended into “a sustainable calm (cessation of military operations and hostilities permanently)” in the second phase. However, Netanyahu has repeatedly denied that the Israeli proposal provides for ending the war before Israel achieves its two declared goals of destroying Hamas and bringing home all the hostages.