Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office claimed Thursday morning Hamas had made last-minute demands to release life-sentenced prisoners as part of a deal to release hostages held in Gaza, which Israel vetoed as part of the agreement.
“Hamas reneges on parts of the agreement reached with the mediators and Israel in an effort to extort last-minute concessions,” a statement read, explaining delays in convening the Cabinet, which was scheduled to meet on Thursday at 11 a.m. “The Israeli cabinet will not convene until the mediators notify Israel that Hamas has accepted all elements of the agreement.
Hamas denied the allegations, with Izzat al-Rishq, a senior political bureau member, asserting, "Hamas remains committed to the cease-fire agreement announced by the mediators." Sami Abu Zuhri, another senior Hamas figure, dismissed Netanyahu's claims, urging both the current and incoming U.S. administrations to pressure Israel to implement the deal.
The Hostages and Missing Persons Directorate in the Prime Minister’s Office released a statement parallel to Netanyahu’s, notifying hostage families that Hamas had introduced demands conflicting with the agreement.
"As of now, the details of the agreement have not been finalized, and the negotiation team continues its efforts to reach a solution. Therefore, no official announcement on the success of the negotiations or a Cabinet meeting has been issued," the statement said.
A senior Israeli official refuted reports claiming Israel would leave the Philadelphi Corridor as part of a potential deal with Hamas. "Contrary to misleading publications, Israel is not leaving the Philadelphi Corridor. Israel will remain fully deployed throughout Phase I, covering all 42 days. The size of the forces will remain unchanged but will be redistributed—encompassing outposts, patrols, observation points and control along the entire route," the official said.
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"During Phase I, starting on Day 16, negotiations to end the war will begin. If Hamas does not agree to Israel's demands to achieve the war's objectives, Israel will remain on the Philadelphi Corridor beyond Day 42 and into Day 50. In practice, Israel will remain in Philadelphi until further notice."
The cabinet was scheduled to meet at 11 a.m., followed by a government session to approve the deal, but delays are expected amid ongoing disputes and the possibility that the far-right Otzma Yehudit and Religious Zionist parties could leave the coalition.
"The Cabinet and government will convene only when the team in Doha recommends doing so,” a source familiar with the situation said. “For now, that hasn’t happened. Resolving this depends on Qatar's pressure on Hamas."
Overnight, Netanyahu's office issued a statement saying he held a conference call with the negotiation team in Doha. The team reported last-minute attempts by Hamas to renege on the agreement. "Contrary to an explicit clause granting Israel veto power over the release of high-profile terrorists, Hamas is demanding the right to dictate their identities," the statement read.
Netanyahu instructed the team to insist on the agreed-upon terms and to reject Hamas' last-minute extortion attempts outright.
Hamas is demanding the release of prisoners serving life sentences, whom Israel has vetoed as part of ongoing negotiations. Among those Israel refuses to release are former Tanzim leader Marwan Barghouti, serving five life sentences, and the killers of a Jewish family in a 2011 attack, whose release Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's spokesperson, Omer Dostri, denied would be included in the deal.
Although vetoed prisoners like Barghouti will not be part of the agreement, the first phase of the deal includes the release of 290 prisoners serving life sentences and an additional 1,687 prisoners and detainees. The exact numbers depend on how many of the 33 hostages held by Hamas for over 15 months return alive in the first phase of the agreement.
At first, Israel resisted releasing prisoners in exchange for hostages presumed dead, but eventually agreed to a limited compromise. Under the terms, convicted terrorists will not return to the West Bank but will be exiled to third countries such as Qatar, Turkey or Algeria. Prisoners who are not serving time for the murder of Israelis may return to their homes in the West Bank. Additionally, Israel is preparing to transfer the bodies of Palestinian terrorists back to Gaza.
In total, the deal includes 210 minors and women in exchange for five civilian hostages and two children from the Bibas family. For five captive female soldiers, Israel will release 150 prisoners serving life sentences and 100 others. For nine injured and ill hostages, 110 prisoners serving life sentences will be freed. For 10 elderly hostages, 30 prisoners serving life sentences and 270 others will be released.
The deal also includes the release of 60 prisoners and 47 recaptured Shalit deal prisoners for the return of Avera Mengistu and Hisham al-Sayed, as well as 1,000 Palestinians arrested since October 8, 2023, who were not involved in the October 7 massacre.
Hamas is also pressing for the release of some of the most notorious terrorists, including Ibrahim Hamed, mastermind of multiple suicide bombings during the Second Intifada; Abbas al-Sayyid, planner of the 2002 Park Hotel bombing in Netanya; Abdullah Barghouti, serving 67 life sentences; and Ahmed Saadat, secretary-general of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, who orchestrated the 2001 assassination of Minister Rehavam Ze'evi.