Hamas rejects US ceasefire offer due to new conditions
Kyiv • UNN
Hamas rejected the terms of the agreement on the release of hostages and a ceasefire. The group accused Netanyahu of creating new obstacles in the negotiations, in particular regarding the IDF's presence in the Philadelphia Corridor.
On the evening of August 18, the Hamas terrorist group issued an official statement rejecting the terms of the hostage and ceasefire agreement discussed in Doha and accusing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of creating new obstacles to the negotiations. This is reported by The Times Of Israel, according to UNN.
Details
Israeli negotiators are reportedly warning that there will be no deal if Netanyahu insists on keeping the IDF in the Philadelphia Corridor. Netanyahu says there will be no deal unless Hamas agrees to demand
Israel's Prime Minister reportedly said earlier on Sunday that he was pessimistic about the chances of a deal, especially given that Israel had been negotiating effectively with mediating countries, not with Hamas, which refused to send a delegation to the latest round of talks.
The Times Of Israel writes that Netanyahu's pessimism, combined with Hamas's refusal to accept the terms discussed in Doha, contradicts mediators' reports that the talks are moving forward and that a successful conclusion is not far off.
Among the main stumbling blocks in the talks is Netanyahu's demand that the IDF remain deployed in the Philadelphia Corridor, which runs along Gaza's border with Egypt, to prevent Hamas from smuggling weapons into Gaza and rebuilding its armed forces. This demand was not stipulated in Israel's May 27 hostage deal proposal, which served as the basis for further negotiations and was rejected by Hamas.
On Sunday, Israeli negotiators reportedly told the prime minister that there would be no deal without a compromise on this issue and called for flexibility.
In a statement on Sunday night, Hamas accused Netanyahu of “putting forward new conditions and demands” to disrupt the talks and prolong the war in Gaza.
The terrorist group also claimed that the latest US-backed text, an “interim proposal” that was handed over to Israel and Hamas after the Doha talks ended on Friday, met Israel's demands.
Hamas also claims that Netanyahu has made new demands for the release of Palestinian prisoners.
“We hold Netanyahu fully responsible for disrupting the efforts of the mediators and preventing an agreement,” Hamas said.
Addendum [1
On Monday, Netanyahu will host U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken. Then Blinken is to fly to Cairo, where negotiations on a deal are underway.
The U.S. said it intends to hold a second round of talks later this week and hopes to finalize a deal by the end of the week.
