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Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday rejected the newest ceasefire deal proposed by Hamas, calling its calls for “ridiculous” and saying Israel would proceed with plans for a floor assault on the southern Gazan metropolis of Rafah, the place greater than half of the enclave is positioned. There’s inhabitants. Giving shelter.
Nonetheless, Mr. Netanyahu indicated he was open to extra negotiations. He introduced that he was sending an Israeli delegation again to Qatar, the place mediation efforts had been going down.
The Prime Minister's response got here a day after Hamas introduced a counteroffer to Israel, geared toward making certain a ceasefire and exchanging hostages for Palestinian prisoners. In a press release, Hamas stated it had introduced mediators in Qatar a “complete strategy” to a ceasefire within the five-month struggle that has devastated the Gaza Strip and price a minimum of 30,000 lives there. Is. It didn’t give any particulars of its new proposal.
Inside hours, Mr. Netanyahu's workplace stated that “Hamas continues to insist on unrealistic calls for.” Then on Friday, Mr. Netanyahu issued a second assertion saying, “With regard to the hostages – Hamas's calls for are nonetheless ridiculous,” with out elaborating.
Stop-fire talks have been stalled for weeks, regardless of efforts to succeed in a compromise by officers from the USA, Egypt and Qatar. Hamas has insisted on Israel's full withdrawal and a everlasting ceasefire earlier than any hostage alternate. Israel has rejected these circumstances.
Overseas Minister Antony J. Blinken, talking throughout a go to to Vienna, confirmed that Hamas had issued a counterproposal, however stated he couldn’t disclose particulars.
The US is working “intensively” with Israel, Qatar and Egypt “to shut the remaining gaps,” he stated. Israel's choice to ship a negotiating crew to Qatar “displays a way of the likelihood – and urgency – of attaining settlement.”
A one-week ceasefire settlement was efficiently negotiated in late November, when Israel and Hamas agreed to cease preventing and alternate greater than 100 hostages and 240 imprisoned Palestinians. Diplomats tried to push for a ceasefire but it surely broke down and preventing resumed in early December.
Mr Netanyahu faces rising worldwide strain to finish the struggle and restrict civilian deaths. President Biden has develop into extra forceful in latest days in calling on Israel to alleviate the plight of civilians in Gaza, who’re dealing with extreme starvation and dying in frequent Israeli airstrikes.
The US president has urged Mr Netanyahu to not press forward along with his plans to launch a serious floor offensive in Rafah, the place a whole lot of hundreds of displaced persons are being held in makeshift shelters.
However Mr Netanyahu has vowed to reject worldwide strain by refraining from a floor motion in Rafah, which Israel says is considered one of Hamas's final main strongholds. On Friday, Mr Netanyahu stated he had accredited plans for a navy operation in Rafah and that Israeli forces had been additionally making ready “for the evacuation of the inhabitants”.
Michael Crowley Contributed to the reporting.