Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed disappointment that a deal between Israel and the Palestinian movement Hamas on the release of hostages remains far off, contradicting White House assertions that an agreement has already been reached on 90% of the terms.
On Wednesday, a senior White House official announced that 14 out of 18 paragraphs of the deal had been agreed upon, which they considered to be “practically 90%” complete.
“Making concessions now would be a license to kill the hostages… We must continue to pressure Hamas, not Israel,” Netanyahu stated in an interview with Fox News.
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When asked if a deal to cease hostilities was imminent, he replied, “Unfortunately, no.”
This week, Netanyahu has already held two major press conferences in an attempt to explain Israel’s position on the most complex issues related to the agreement with Hamas on the Gaza Strip, being negotiated through intermediaries. The Israeli government leader is communicating his stance amid reports of the murder of six hostages in Gaza. The killing of the hostages held by Hamas radicals has sparked widespread outrage in Israeli society, culminating in massive anti-government protests.
Negotiations on Gaza, mediated by Egypt and Qatar, have been ongoing in Cairo and Doha for several weeks. Israel’s demand to maintain control over the border between the Gaza Strip and Egypt is one of the sticking points in reaching an agreement on regulating the situation in the Palestinian enclave.
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Israeli authorities are convinced that if Israeli forces withdraw, Hamas will be able to quickly rearm and restore part of its combat capabilities.
According to Israeli data, 101 people, including those considered dead, remain in Hamas captivity. During various operations and humanitarian efforts, 154 people, including the bodies of deceased hostages, have been returned from Hamas captivity.
