Prospects for a deal to release the remaining hostages held by Hamas suffered a setback after Hamas officials said Sunday there was “no chance” the hostages would be returned after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected the terms. It seems so.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had earlier rejected the extremist group's terms for ending the war, which include keeping Hamas in power and completely withdrawing from Israeli territory.
Sami Abu Zuhri, a Hamas official, told Reuters that the Israeli prime minister's refusal to end the military offensive in Gaza “means there is no chance for Gaza to return.” . [Israeli] The number of prisoners of war is estimated at 130.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has come under increasing pressure to ensure the release of the hostages, but in a statement he said Hamas' demands include “the withdrawal of our troops from Gaza, the release of all murderers and rapists… “Leave it untouched.”
“I completely reject the terms of surrender of the Hamas monsters,” he added.
On Sunday night, families of the hostages began a protest in Jerusalem in front of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's private residence. The Israeli Hostage and Missing Families Forum said the protesters would remain until “the prime minister agrees to an agreement for the return of the hostages.”
In a separate statement, advocacy groups called on Netanyahu to “make it clear that he will not abandon the civilians, soldiers and others abducted in the October disaster.”
“If the prime minister makes the decision to sacrifice hostages, he should show leadership and honestly share his position with the Israeli people.”
More than 100 of the estimated 240 hostages captured in Gaza in the October 7 attack by Hamas militants were being held in Israel under a deal brokered by the United States, Qatar, and Egypt in late November. He was released in exchange for the release of 240 Palestinians. prison.
Since then, multiple attempts to secure another ceasefire have failed.
Although Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly promised to continue attacking Gaza until “complete victory,” Israeli commentators have questioned the war effort, argued that the goals of the attack are unrealistic, and criticized the Israeli prime minister's meekness. Condemning constant.
Prime Minister Netanyahu reiterated his strong stance on the issue of establishing a Palestinian state in a statement on Sunday. “We will not compromise on Israel's complete security control over all its territory west of the Jordan River,” he said.
On Saturday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected Joe Biden's call for a post-war Palestinian state. In a meeting with the US president on Friday, Prime Minister Netanyahu “reiterated the policy that even after the destruction of Hamas, Israel must maintain security control over Gaza to ensure that it no longer poses a threat to Israel.” This demand is inconsistent with our demands on Israel,” Prime Minister Netanyahu announced. Palestinian Sovereignty.”
On Sunday, the Gaza Health Ministry announced that 25,000 Palestinians had been killed in Israel's war with Hamas, with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres calling the scale of civilian killings “heartbreaking and completely unacceptable.” .
Most of the victims were women and children, the ministry said, and thousands more bodies may remain buried under rubble across Gaza and remain uncounted.
Speaking at a world summit in Uganda's capital, Kampala, Guterres condemned Israel's three-month-long offensive.
“Israel's military operations have escalated mass destruction and killed civilians on a scale unprecedented during my time as Secretary-General,” Guterres said at the opening ceremony of the Group of 77+China, a coalition of 135 developing countries.
Reuters contributed to this report
