Netanyahu Rejects Hamas Proposal to End War

Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has rejected a proposal by Hamas to end the war and release Israeli prisoners in exchange for withdrawing Israeli forces, releasing prisoners and accepting Hamas’s control over the Gaza Strip. The Israeli PM said that accepting Hamas’s condition would mean leaving the armed group “intact” and that Israel’s soldiers had “fallen in vain”.

“I reject outright the terms of surrender of the monsters of Hamas,” Netanyahu said on Sunday. “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,” the Israeli leader added. Netanyahu has also made it clear that he is opposed to an independent Palestinian state, insisting that only full Israeli security control could prevent any future threats from emerging.

On Sunday evening, the Hostages and Missing Families Forum started a protest outside the Israeli PM’s home in Jerusalem, refusing to leave until he agrees to a deal on the captives’ release. “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.

Tags: Israel Palestine War