Israel’s Netanyahu rejects Gaza cease-fire deal

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Sunday announced that Israel will not accept the Palestinian Resistance Group, Hamas, demand to end attacks on the Gaza Strip as part of a prisoner swap deal.

The Israeli premier, who has played a leading role in the massacre of tens of thousands of Palestinians since October 7, 2023, made statements about the prisoner swap agreement negotiations between Israel and Hamas on his social media.

Netanyahu said that they have been working on prisoner swap negotiations in the last few weeks and that they are ready for a temporary ceasefire in Gaza in exchange for the release of Israeli prisoners.

Netanyahu claimed they were willing to negotiate a prisoner swap, but Hamas insisted on conditions such as the withdrawal of Israeli soldiers from Gaza and the cessation of attacks and stated that Israel could not accept this.

Stating that Hamas' demands cannot be accepted, Netanyahu said: “Surrendering to Hamas' demands would be a terrible defeat for the State of Israel.”

Netanyahu claimed in his post that Israel's acceptance of these demands “would be a great victory for Hamas and Iran” and added, “Israel will not accept Hamas's demands that mean surrender and will continue the struggle until it achieves all its goals.”

It is noteworthy that these statements by the Israeli Prime Minister came during the ongoing prisoner swap negotiations in Cairo.

It is interpreted that Netanyahu, who is certain to lose his seat after the end of the attacks on Gaza, aims to bring the prisoner swap negotiations to a deadlock with this statement.

Netanyahu had said on April 30 that they would launch ground attacks on Rafah, where displaced Palestinians in Gaza took refuge, with or without a prisoner swap.

Hamas ready for peace under certain conditions

A high-ranking Hamas source, on the other hand, expressed the group's determination to reach a peace agreement with Israel through the ongoing indirect talks in Cairo but stressed that it would not be at any cost.

The source stressed that a complete cessation of hostilities and an Israeli withdrawal from the entire Gaza Strip are preconditions for any agreement.

Criticizing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's threats to invade Rafah, the source described them as attempts to disrupt the negotiation process.

The statements by the Hamas official contradicted Israeli and U.S. claims that Hamas was blocking a peace deal.

He reiterated Hamas' conditions for a cease-fire, including an end to the war, the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza, the lifting of the siege, the return of displaced Palestinians and the provision of humanitarian aid.

While U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that a cease-fire deal would be easy for Hamas, Israel has made it clear that it will not accept any cease-fire that ends the war and that any agreement would only be temporary.

Accusing Netanyahu of obstructing the negotiations, the Hamas official criticized Israel's refusal to accept the cease-fire agreement.

An Egyptian source involved in the talks also supported Hamas' position, saying that the success or failure of the deal would depend on Israel's response to the outcome of the Cairo talks.

“The ball is now in the Israeli government's court," the Egyptian source said.

Hamas, Egypt, Qatar, and the U.S. are currently involved in the negotiations, with Israel not directly participating at this stage.

Source: Newsroom