During the last week, Hamas and Israel have reached common ground with the objective of pausing the confrontation with the goal of achieving an exchange of at least 1,290 Palestinian prisoners for the more than 120 kidnapped in the Gaza Strip.
In the midst of these discussions, Hamas has put on the table the discussion of ending the war to free all prisoners. Despite being the clear objective of the international community, Israel has ruled out accepting this proposal.
Israel’s explanation
Israeli officials insisted this Saturday that Israel will not accept a permanent ceasefire as part of an agreement with Hamas to exchange hostages for Palestinian prisoners, local media reported. “Contrary to what is reported, Under no circumstances will Israel accept the end of the war as part of an agreement to free our hostages“said an official quoted by several Israeli media.
The Israeli Army during operations with “selective attacks” in the northern Gaza Strip. EFE/Israeli Army
The same official insisted that the Army will enter Rafah and “will destroy the remaining Hamas battalions there, with or without a temporary respite to allow the release” of the hostages, reported the Times of Israel newspaper.
The end of the Israeli offensive and the withdrawal of the Israeli Army from all of Gaza is one of the demands of the Hamas group to reach an agreement.
Internal pressures in Israel
However, the most radical government partners of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu They are strongly opposed to a permanent ceasefire to the point that they have threatened to leave the Executive if that decision is made.
Netanyahu himself has insisted on several occasions that the war will continue until the all its objectives which are to end Hamas in the Gaza Strip and recover the hostages who still remain in the hands of the group.
Negotiations continue
The Palestinian group has announced that a team of mediators will be in Cairo today to continue negotiations in a “positive spirit.” “Emphasizing the positive spirit with which the leaders of the movement approached the consideration of the ceasefire proposal they recently received, We will go to Cairo with the same spirit to reach an agreement”says the note.
The text also insists on the determination of both Hamas and “the Palestinian resistance forces” to mature the agreement to achieve the “demands of our people.”
Protests in the United States in rejection of the Israeli military operation and the invasion of Palestinian territories. EFE/EPA/OLGA FEDOROVA
/ OLGA FEDOROVA
The demands he cites are: “to completely stop the aggression, the withdrawal of the occupation forces, the return of the displaced and the relief of our peoplethe beginning of reconstruction and the conclusion of a serious exchange agreement.”
Hamas has said it could offer a response early next week, while Israel has put pressure on the group by threatening to begin a ground invasion of Rafah. where 1.4 million overcrowded people live, whether he delays his response or rejects it.
