PM’s office denies Netanyahu’s comments caused Hamas to harden position in hostage talks: ‘Complete lie’

In the wake of a New York Times article with comments from an anonymous Israeli official alleging that a hostage deal was possible on Saturday until Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu released a series of statements that caused Hamas to harden its position, the Prime Minister’s Office issues a rebuttal.

A statement from Netanyahu’s office calls the idea that the premier sabotaged the deal “a complete lie and a deliberate deception of the public.”

“Hamas is the one that sabotages any deal by not moving one millimeter from its extreme demands that no Israeli government could accept,” the statement continues, “first and foremost, that Israel withdraw from Gaza and end the war.”

On Saturday, amid signs that a potential deal could be reached, another anonymous Israeli official — widely reported to be Netanyahu — released two statements asserting that there would not be any hostage agreement that entailed an end to the war.