Netanyahu claims he’s sticking to Biden-backed plan. Text of offer suggests otherwise
PM says demand for Israel to retain control of Philadelphi Corridor is part of proposal he approved in May — but that offer says IDF will completely withdraw from Gaza in 2nd phase
Jacob Magid is The Times of Israel's US bureau chief
The full text of the latest Israeli hostage proposal, obtained by The Times of Israel, appears to contradict Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s claim on Saturday night that he has not made any new demands in the ceasefire negotiations with Hamas.
“Now, I would like to clarify something, and this is in contrast to endless briefings by anonymous sources,” Netanyahu said during a prime-time press conference following an Israeli strike targeting the head of Hamas’s military wing, Muhammad Deif.
“I have not moved a millimeter from the proposal that [US] President [Joe] Biden praised. I haven’t added any conditions. And I haven’t removed any conditions,” the premier continued, referring to the Israeli proposal submitted on May 27, which Biden detailed in a May 31 speech.
“I have stood by four basic [demands], which are part of that proposal,” Netanyahu also said, beginning with Israel’s right to continue the war until all of its goals are achieved.
“Second, I insist that we [be able to] prevent weapons smuggling to Hamas through Egypt. This requires our continued control of the Philadelphi Corridor [between Gaza and Egypt] and the Rafah [Border] Crossing,” the prime minister continued.
“Third, I insist that we prevent the return of armed terrorists and weapons to the north of the Gaza Strip. Fourth, I insist that we return as many living hostages as possible in the first phase of the [deal],” Netanyahu added.
However, the text of the proposal does not go nearly as far as Netanyahu did on Saturday night, particularly with regard to his first and second demands.
The proposal approved by Netanyahu in May states that at the commencement of the 42-day second phase of the deal, the sides will “announce [the] restoration of a sustainable calm (cessation of military operations and hostilities permanently) and its commencement prior to the exchange of hostages and prisoners between the two sides.”
The ceasefire declaration at the start of the phase, before the remaining hostages have been released, appears to contradict Netanyahu’s claim that Israel will be able to continue the war until all of its goals are achieved, given that those goals include returning the hostages.
Clause 15 detailing phase two of the deal further specifies that it will include a “complete withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Gaza strip.” This follows the 42-day first phase during which Israeli forces will pull back “eastwards away from densely populated areas along the borders in all areas of the Gaza strip.”
In neither phase are the Philadelphi Corridor and the Rafah Crossing specified as locations where Israeli troops will be allowed to remain, despite Netanyahu’s claim that the deal allows for the IDF to retain control of those two areas in order to prevent weapons smuggling.
On Friday, the Prime Minister’s Office issued a statement blasting as “fake news” a Reuters report revealing that Israel in the hostage talks has discussed withdrawing from the Gaza-Egypt border.
Despite the denial, two officials involved in the negotiations subsequently told The Times of Israel that Israeli negotiators have in fact been discussing the IDF’s withdrawal from the Philadelphi Corridor and Rafah Crossing as part of the ceasefire deal.
The pullback would be part of an arrangement that would see Egypt, with the help of the US and other international partners, bolster the border to ensure that Hamas cannot smuggle weapons into Gaza from Sinai, the officials said.
The arrangement would include the construction of an underground wall along the corridor to neutralize the tunnel threat, they added.
The text of Israel’s May proposal does appear to somewhat reference Netanyahu’s demand that Israel be able to prevent the return of armed fighters to northern Gaza.
Clause 3a of the deal states that day seven of the first phase will see “the commencement of return of internally displaced to their place of residence (without carrying arms while returning).”
However, Netanyahu’s reiteration of this point has been blasted by unnamed senior security sources familiar with the talks cited Friday by Channel 12 news, who understood it as a claim that the IDF will maintain control of the so-called Netzarim Corridor, which currently splits the Strip in two and prevents the return of gunmen to the northern part.
A source said that in its May offer, Israel had given up its initial demand to stay in the corridor, arguing that “the demand to monitor everyone moving north is a retraction of our concession on the matter.”
“This is a demand that will prevent a deal,” the source was quoted as saying. “In the best case, it is an obstacle that will make the continuation [of talks] more difficult, and in the worst case, it is aimed as a spoke in the negotiations’ wheel and at eliminating the ability to reach a deal.”
As for Netanyahu’s demand that as many living hostages as possible be released in the first phase of the deal, clause 4 of the Israeli proposal states that “Hamas shall release 33 of the Israeli hostages (living and human remains) who are women (civilians and soldiers), children (under 19 years who are not soldiers), elderly (above 50 years) and ill and wounded civilians.”
“In the event that the number of living Israeli hostages to be released during this stage does not reach 33, the difference will be completed through the release of a corresponding number of human remains from the same categories for this stage,” clause 4d states.
Two officials from two separate mediating countries confirmed that the Israeli proposal obtained by The Times of Israel is authentic.
A spokesperson for Netanyahu’s office did not respond to a request for comment.
