The offered ceasefire parameters from Hamas have been rejected by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who claims that “total victory” in Gaza is achievable in a few months of time.
He was speaking in response to a ceasefire proposal endorsed by Israel, which had been met with a series of demands from Hamas. Netanyahu called the parameters of the group’s negotiations “bizarre” and stated that they were “not going anywhere”.
The talks are still ongoing in an attempt to come to an agreement.
“There is no other solution but a complete and final victory,” Netanyahu stated at a press conference on Wednesday. “If Hamas will survive in Gaza, it’s only a question of time until the next massacre,” he added.
Although it was anticipated that Israel would object to Hamas’s counteroffer, this answer is an unequivocal condemnation, and Israeli authorities obviously perceive an attempt by Hamas to bring the war to a conclusion on its terms is completely unacceptable.
Netanyahu’s comments “are a form of political bravado” and indicate his intention to continue the bloodshed in the region.
A fresh round of talks, mediated by Egypt and Qatar, is still anticipated to take place in Cairo on Thursday, an Egyptian official source informed the BBC. According to the source, Egypt has urged all sides to exercise the necessary patience in order to come to a peaceful resolution.
Furthermore, remarks from Qatar characterising Hamas’s response as “positive” stand in sharp contrast to Netanyahu’s rejection of a “delusional” plan.
On Tuesday, Hamas presented its counterproposal for a cease-fire. These were listed in a draft of the Hamas document that the Reuters news agency saw.
