TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — Israel’s prime minister said Saturday that a permanent ceasefire in Gaza is “not achievable” until long-standing conditions are met. war Seems filled and weakened suggestion US President Joe Biden announced that it belongs to Israel.
The statement from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office came a day after Biden outlined the plan, and families of Israeli hostages held by Hamas urged all parties to accept the proposal immediately. Large demonstrations in Israel on Saturday night called on the government to act now.
Mediators the United States, Egypt and Qatar also applied pressure on Israel and Hamas in a joint statement, saying the proposed agreement “provides a roadmap for a permanent ceasefire and an end to the crisis” and would provide immediate relief to both hostages and Gaza residents.
However, Netanyahu’s statement said, “Israel’s conditions for ending the war remain unchanged: the destruction of Hamas’ military and governing capabilities, the release of all hostages and a guarantee that Gaza will no longer be a threat to Israel. In this proposal, Israel will continue to insist that these conditions are met before a permanent ceasefire is implemented.”
In a separate statement, Prime Minister Netanyahu said: Invitation from U.S. Congressional Leaders He will deliver a speech on Capitol Hill to pledge wartime support for Israel. Date yet to be determined.
Biden insisted on Friday that Hamas is “no longer capable of carrying out large-scale attacks” on Israel like those that sparked the war in October. He called on Israel and Hamas to reach an agreement to release about 100 people. The remaining hostages, Along with the bodies of about 30 people, they called for an extension of the ceasefire.
Ceasefire talks were suspended last month as the United States and other mediators pressed for an agreement to avoid a full-scale Israeli invasion of the southern Gaza city of Rafah, which Israel says is key to rooting out Hamas fighters responsible for the October 7 attack.
Israel said on Friday that its troops City centreGround offensives have forced around one million Palestinians to flee Rafah and disrupted humanitarian efforts, with the World Food Programme calling living conditions “horrific and apocalyptic” as hunger spreads.
Families of the hostages said time was running out.
“This may be the last chance to save lives,” Giri Roman told The Associated Press. His sister, Yarden Roman Gat, was released during a week-long ceasefire in November, but his sister-in-law, Carmel, remains detained. “Our leaders must not let us down, but above all, all eyes should be on Hamas,” Roman said.
Family Thursday’s Active Meeting Meeting with Israeli national security adviser Tsahi Hanegbi, Hanegbi said the government was not ready to sign an agreement to bring all the hostages home and saw no alternative.
Hanegbi said this week that he expects the war to continue. Another 7 months To destroy Hamas’ military and governing capabilities.
Many hostages’ families have blamed the government for a lack of will.
“We know that the Israeli government has made great efforts to delay reaching an agreement, which has cost the lives of many who survived weeks and months of captivity,” said Sharone Lifshitz, whose mother, Yocheved, was released in November but whose father, Oded, remains in detention.
The first phase of Biden’s proposed agreement would last six weeks and include a “full and total ceasefire,” the withdrawal of Israeli troops from all populated areas of Gaza and the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners in exchange for the release of many hostages, including women, elderly and wounded.
The second phase includes the release of all surviving hostages, including male soldiers, and the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza. The third phase calls for the start of a major rebuild of Gaza, which will take decades to rebuild from the devastation caused by the war.
Biden acknowledged that it would be difficult to keep the proposal on schedule because “the details need to be negotiated” to move from phase one to phase two. Biden said Israel could resume military operations if Hamas fails to meet its obligations under the agreement.
Hamas said it viewed the proposal “positively” and called on Israel to declare a clear commitment to an agreement that would include conditions such as a permanent ceasefire, a complete withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza and a prisoner exchange.
There was some hope in Deir al-Balah, where many Palestinians fled after the Israeli attack on Rafah.
“This proposal comes late but better late than never,” Akram Abu Al-Hasan said.
The main difference with previous proposals, analysts say, is that it is willing to halt the war indefinitely, leaving Israel the option to restart the war and weaken Hamas’ ability to govern, but over time, said Michael Milstein, director of the Forum for Palestinian Studies at Tel Aviv University’s Dayan Center.
“It was a very good speech. Biden seems to be trying to push it on the Israeli government. He was clearly speaking directly to the Israeli people,” said Gershon Baskin, Middle East director at the International Community Organization.
Also on Saturday, Egypt’s state-run Al-Kahera news agency reported that Egyptian, US and Israeli officials would meet in Cairo over the weekend to discuss the Rafah border crossing, which has been closed since Israel occupied the Palestinian side in May.
The crossing is the main route for aid entering the Gaza Strip, and Egypt has refused to open its side, fearing it would lead to permanent Israeli control. Egypt wants the Palestinians to regain control.
Hamas attack on October 7 About 1,200 people, mostly civilians, were killed and about 250 were abducted. According to the Gaza Ministry of Health, Israeli bombings and attacks have killed more than 36,370 Palestinians in Gaza, a count that does not distinguish between civilians and combatants.
___
Shurafa reported from Deir al-Balah in the Gaza Strip. David McHugh in Frankfurt, Germany, and Samy Magdy in Cairo, Egypt contributed to this report.
___
See AP’s war coverage below https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war
