Israel: Mr. Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel’s Prime Minister, has turned down a proposal by Hamas to stop the war, free the prisoners, withdraw Israeli forces, and acknowledge the armed group’s rule over Gaza.
Mr. Netanyahu claimed that Israel’s soldiers had “fallen in vain” and that accepting Hamas’ demands would mean leaving the armed group “intact.” Netanyahu is facing increasing domestic pressure to free the prisoners.
“I reject outright the terms of surrender of the monsters of Hamas. If we accept this, we won’t be able to guarantee the safety of our citizens. We will not be able to bring evacuees home safely and the next October 7 will only be a matter of time,” Mr. Netanyahu said.
Earlier, Mr. Netanyahu reaffirmed his opposition to the creation of an independent Palestinian state and declared that he would not back down from his demand for “complete Israeli security control over the entire area in the west of Jordan.”
There are several forces working against Mr. Netanyahu: members of his far-right ruling coalition want to escalate the war, families of the captives want a deal to ensure their loved ones’ return and growing tensions exist between him and US President Mr. Joe Biden’s administration.
The Hostages and Missing Families Forum started a protest on Sunday night outside the Israeli leader’s Jerusalem residence, promising to stay there until he consents to a plan for the release of the hostages.
“If the prime minister decides to sacrifice the hostages, he should show leadership and honestly share his position with the Israeli public,” the group said in a statement.
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