Israel : New Demands Delay Gaza Hostage Negotiations

The Prime Minister of Israel has increased his demands during indirect talks brokered by the United States, Qatar and Egypt. This is reported by The New York Times.


According to U.S. and foreign officials, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has introduced new conditions. This has significantly complicated the talks, the goal of which was to free the hostages and end the fighting in the Gaza Strip.


The New York Times reported on the additional conditions. This is evidenced by internal Israeli government documents. They outline the country’s negotiating position.


The goal of the talks between Israel and Hamas

The goal of the indirect talks between Israel and Hamas brokered by the United States, Qatar and Egypt is not only a ceasefire, but also an exchange of hostages. But Netanyahu added that he would agree on the condition that Israeli forces maintain control over Gaza’s southern border with Egypt. This includes the condition that additional restrictions be imposed on Palestinians seeking to return to their homes in the enclave. This was reported by U.S. and foreign officials.

But Netanyahu’s office denied the report on Tuesday, calling the claim “false” and saying his letter last month “does not impose additional conditions and certainly does not contradict or undermine the May 27 proposal.”
A Hamas envoy to Lebanon will not attend this week’s Middle East talks.

“Netanyahu is not interested in reaching an agreement that would completely end the aggression,” the envoy said. “But he is rather deceiving and evading and wants to prolong the war and expand it regionally.”

Israel planned to send a delegation to the talks on Thursday, a State Department official said.

Netanyahu has publicly said for more than a month that he does not intend to jeopardize Israel’s security along the Egypt-Gaza border.

Critics in Israel, including families of hostages, have accused Netanyahu of not prioritizing an agreement that would temporarily halt the fighting and bring the Israeli hostages home.
US, Western and Middle Eastern officials also say Hamas has often shown an unwillingness to compromise. They have put forward new conditions that have made it difficult to reach an agreement.


How it all started


The Gaza war between Israel and Hamas was triggered by a Hamas terrorist attack in Israel on October 7. The attack killed 1,200 people, most of them civilians. About 40,000 Palestinians have died in Gaza since Israel launched its military retaliation in the enclave.


In a statement on Sunday, Hamas said Israel had added new conditions to an earlier proposal, confirming its intention to continue its “aggression” in Gaza and sabotage a possible ceasefire.


The group has asked international mediators to devise a plan to implement what was agreed upon last month. They believe it is not the time to make new proposals and edits.

Biden does not deny that significant progress is needed before the two sides agree to a ceasefire.


“It’s not like the agreement is going to be ready to be signed on Thursday. There’s still a significant amount of work to do, but we do believe that what’s left here really can be bridged, and there’s really just no time to lose.”

The talks could also be derailed by Iran’s promise to strike Israel following the assassination of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran on July 31. It was Haniyeh who was leading Israel’s negotiations with Hamas at the time.

Iran has accused Israel of orchestrating Haniyeh’s assassination. Recall that he was killed during a visit to Tehran for the inauguration of Iran’s new president.

Source: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/netanyahu-added-conditions-complicated-gaza-negotiations-officials-say-rcna166503

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