(CNN) — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he “cannot accept” Hamas’ demands to end the war in Gaza, in an exchange of reproaches between the two sides amid new ceasefire talks that have barely begun. They show signs of progress.
The talks are believed to have focused on a new framework, proposed by Cairo, that requires the militant group to release hostages held hostage in Israel in exchange for a pause in hostilities in Gaza.
A Hamas delegation left Egypt after the latest round of grueling months of talks, saying that “serious and in-depth talks have been held.”
There was reason for optimism, as Egyptian media quoted an Egyptian official as saying there had been “significant progress” in the negotiations. However, the most recent comments from Israel and Hamas demonstrate how distant the two remain.
The leader of the Hamas political bureau, Ismail Haniyeh, said in a statement this Sunday that the group “continues to wish” to reach an agreement with the mediators, but that any proposal would have to guarantee an Israeli withdrawal and a permanent cessation of fighting in the enclave.
He reiterated that the delegation had “positive and flexible positions” aimed at stopping “the aggression against our people, which is a fundamental and logical position that lays the foundations for a more stable future.”
Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh again demanded that Israel withdraw from Gaza. (Credit: Vahid Salemi/AP)
However, referring to the Israeli government, Haniyeh said that “the world has become hostage to an extremist government, which has a large number of political problems and crimes committed in Gaza,” and accused its leaders of trying to “sabotage the efforts made through the mediators and the different parties”.
Netanyahu, for his part, accused Hamas of raising unacceptable demands in the Cairo talks, adding that Israel had “demonstrated its willingness to go far” in the negotiations.
He said Hamas’s demand that Israel withdraw from Gaza was ruled out.
“Hamas remains entrenched in its extreme positions, chief among them the demand to withdraw all our forces from the enclave, end the war and leave Hamas intact,” he said. “The State of Israel cannot accept this.”
“We are not willing to accept a situation in which Hamas battalions come out of their bunkers, take control of Gaza again, rebuild their military infrastructure and once again threaten the citizens of Israel in the surrounding settlements, in the southern cities, in all parts of the country”.
“Israel will not accede to Hamas’ demands, which mean surrender, and will continue the fighting until all its objectives are achieved,” Netanyahu said.
Imminent offensive in Rafah
Amid the ongoing tense negotiations, a ground offensive is expected on the southern Gazan city of Rafah, where an estimated 1.5 million Palestinians fleeing the fighting in the north are taking refuge.
The United States tried to increase pressure on Hamas to accept the agreement on the table, while trying to prevent the Israeli Army from advancing towards Rafah. Recently, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken held another round of high-level talks in Israel on Wednesday.
However, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant told soldiers on Sunday to expect “intense action in Rafah in the near future, and elsewhere throughout the enclave.”
Galant entered the enclave early Sunday morning, according to the Defense Ministry, where he told soldiers that Israel was “committed to the elimination of Hamas and the release of the hostages.”
“We recognize alarming signs that Hamas does not actually intend to reach any general agreement with us, the meaning of this: action in Rafah and all of Gaza in the near future,” Gallant said.
“We are just before an action, we are in high readiness, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) know what to do, we are prepared for things and it will cover the entire enclave from north to south, the entire area and within Rafah.”
Rocket barrage near Kerem Shalom
Meanwhile, Israel closed the Kerem Shalom border crossing to humanitarian trucks after it was hit by at least 10 rockets early Sunday, according to the IDF.
The crossing has been essential in getting aid to Gaza.
It is currently unknown where exactly the rockets fell in the area or if there were injuries or fatalities. The Al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, claimed to have attacked the crossing with rockets.
Following the rocket barrage, Israel’s Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) blamed Hamas for the failure of aid to reach the besieged enclave.
In a post on from the south to the north of Gaza and prevented residents from receiving humanitarian aid.
A CNN contributor in Rafah, Gaza, said people began to fear as immediately after the rockets hit Kerem Shalom, artillery fire could be heard east of the city as Israeli planes attacked unspecified targets.
CNN’s Eugenia Yosef, Tareq El-Helou and Kareem Khadder contributed to this report
