Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has decided to withdraw from peace talks with Hamas due to what it calls “delusional” demands. This decision further jeopardized the prospect of a ceasefire.
What happened: Netanyahu chose not to send a delegation to Cairo for the continuation of talks aimed at securing a ceasefire with Hamas. The Israeli prime minister’s office said Israel was waiting for a change in Hamas’ position before resuming negotiations, Bloomberg reported.
Hamas, an Iranian-backed militant group, has called for a complete withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza in exchange for the release of the hostages. They also called for the release of all Palestinian prisoners held in Israel, including those convicted of murder and other violence. Netanyahu has categorically rejected these demands.
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The Israeli delegation, led by the head of the Mossad intelligence agency, David Barnea, returned from talks in Egypt on Tuesday. “Netanyahu insists that Israel will not give in to Hamas’s delusional demands,” his office said. “A change in Hamas’ positions will allow negotiations to move forward.”
Given Israel’s position, the possibility of a ceasefire, even temporary, seems remote. International concerns are growing over the fate of more than 1 million Palestinian refugees in the southern Gaza city of Rafah. The Israeli army is preparing an assault on the city, where they say the remaining Hamas fighters are based, and Netanyahu has pledged to allow civilians to leave before the attack.
Because matter: The recent events are part of a larger conflict between Israel and Hamas, which has lasted for several months. The conflict has attracted international attention and concern, with the International Criminal Court raising alarms over Israeli military operations in Rafah and calling for justice for potential war crimes.
President of the United States Joe Biden he has privately expressed dissatisfaction with Netanyahu’s tactics in Gaza and pushed for a ceasefire. Despite this, Netanyahu promised victory over Hamas and rejected Hamas’ ceasefire proposal, saying that the only solution for Israel is to ensure the collapse of the Islamic movement. This latest withdrawal from peace talks further complicates the situation.
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