A senior Israeli official said on Sunday that Israel would not commit to ending the war before the release of hostages in the first and second phases of a proposed cease-fire deal approved by the UN Security Council.
Hamas has introduced numerous amendments to the proposal initially presented by U.S. President Joe Biden late last month, which Jerusalem interprets as an effective rejection. "Hamas made substantial changes to dozens of items in the outline," the official said.
2 View gallery
Vigil held in Tel Aviv calling for the release of hostages held by Hamas
(Photo: Marko Djurica / Reuters)
"The mediators should focus on advancing negotiations based on the outline accepted by the UN Security Council and the American president. There can be no negotiations over any other proposal, which Israel has already approved. The proposal includes two critical components: a cease-fire and an end to the war, and they must be agreed upon through this specific proposal."
The official highlighted that Hamas had violated past agreements, leading Israel to refuse to commit to ending the war prematurely. "To ensure the agreement leads to the release of all hostages, including men and the bodies of the deceased in the second phase, leverage must be maintained on both sides," he said.
Hamas politburo chief Ismail Haniyeh said that the terror group's response aligned with the proposal presented by Biden. "Hamas and the (Palestinian) groups are ready for a comprehensive deal that includes a cease-fire, withdrawal from Gaza, reconstruction of what was destroyed and a comprehensive swap deal," Haniyeh said in a televised speech on Sunday.