Hamas issued an official response on Monday to Israel's reply to the proposed hostage deal, accusing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of reverting to a strategy of "foot-dragging and evading agreement."
Hamas claimed that Israel's response included "new conditions and demands," and that Netanyahu effectively "backed away from the position presented by U.S. President Joe Biden."
A short time later, the Prime Minister's Office responded: "The Hamas leadership is preventing an agreement. Israel neither changed nor added any condition to the outline. On the contrary, as of now it is Hamas which has demanded 29 changes and has not responded to the original outline," the PMO said in a statement. "Israel stands on its principles according to the original outline: Maximizing the number of living hostages, Israeli control over the Philadelphi Corridor and preventing the passage of terrorists, weapons and ammunition to the northern Gaza Strip."
The Hamas statement followed Mossad Chief Dadi Barnea's return from his meeting with intermediaries in Rome. The Prime Minister's Office stated that "the parties discussed the clarification document submitted by Israel regarding the proposal. Negotiations on the key issues will continue in the coming days." During the summit in Rome, Barnea presented the intermediaries with Israel's revised outline and reservations.
Sources familiar with the negotiations emphasized to Ynet on Sunday that, before Israel's additions, there was an agreement to start the deal. Other senior officials denied this, however.
In recent days, heavy pressure has been exerted by the Americans, resulting in an agreed-upon framework that was submitted to the intermediaries Monday. Sources familiar with the negotiations told Ynet that before Israel's additions, there was an agreement to commence the deal. However, other senior officials denied this.
2 View gallery
Protests for the return of the Israeli hostages from Hamas captivity
(Photo: Jalaa Marey / AFP)
Israel's amendments concern the mechanism to prevent terrorists from returning to northern Gaza via the Netzarim corridor, insistence on a presence in the Philadelphi corridor, and a demand for a list of living hostages. Netanyahu insists on the release of as many live hostages as possible in the initial stage.
A U.S. official familiar with the weekend talks with Netanyahu said: "The administration is putting tremendous pressure on Netanyahu to be flexible – but, unfortunately, Netanyahu is impossible." Israeli sources involved in the negotiations said: "There is pessimism, and the feeling is that we are not heading in a good direction, at least not as long as we maintain Netanyahu's insistence on the Netzarim corridor, inspections, the Philadelphi corridor and more."