Netanyahu says Israel will only accept 'partial' ceasefire, continue fighting after pause

TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — The viability of a U.S.-backed proposal to end the eight-month war in Gaza was thrown into doubt Monday after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said 'he would only accept a deal. a “partial” ceasefire agreement that would not end the war, comments that sparked an outcry among the families of hostages held by Hamas.

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In an interview broadcast Sunday evening on Israeli Channel 14, a conservative and pro-Netanyahu channel, the Israeli leader said he was “ready to conclude a partial agreement – this is no secret – which will give us back part of the people”, referring to the approximately 120 hostages still held in the Gaza Strip. “But we are determined to continue the war after a pause, in order to achieve the goal of eliminating Hamas. I'm not ready to give this up.

Netanyahu's comments do not radically deviate from what he has previously said about the terms of the deal. But they come at a sensitive time as Israel and Hamas appear to be drifting further apart over the latest ceasefire proposal, and they could represent a new setback for mediators trying to end the war .

Netanyahu's comments contrast sharply with the outline of the deal detailed late last month by US President Joe Biden, who presented the plan as an Israeli plan and what some in Israel are calling the “Netanyahu deal.” “. His remarks could further strain Israel's ties with the United States, its main ally, which has launched a major diplomatic push for the latest ceasefire proposal.

The three-phase plan would result in the release of remaining hostages in exchange for hundreds of Palestinians imprisoned by Israel. But disputes and distrust persist between Israel and Hamas over how the deal will play out.

Hamas insisted it would not release the remaining hostages unless there was a permanent ceasefire and a complete withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza. When Biden announced the latest proposal last month, he said it included both.

But Netanyahu says Israel is still determined to destroy Hamas's military and government capabilities, and ensure it can never again carry out an October 7-style attack. A complete withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza, where Hamas's senior leadership and much of its forces are still intact, would almost certainly leave the group in control of the territory and the ability to rearm.

In the interview, Netanyahu said the current phase of fighting was coming to an end, paving the way for Israel to send more troops to its northern border to confront the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, which could open a new war front. But he added that this did not mean the war in Gaza was over.

Defense Minister Yoav Gallant discussed tensions on the border with Lebanon on Monday during his trip to Washington with Amos Hochstein, senior adviser to President Joe Biden. He echoed Netanyahu's comments that the war in Gaza is moving to a new phase, which could impact other conflicts, including with Hezbollah.

During the initial six-week phase, the parties are expected to negotiate an agreement on the second phase, which Biden said would include the release of all remaining hostages, including male soldiers, and the complete withdrawal of 'Israel of Gaza. The temporary ceasefire would become permanent.

Hamas appears concerned that Israel will resume war once its most vulnerable hostages are returned. And even if not, Israel could make demands at this stage of negotiations that were not part of the original agreement and would be unacceptable to Hamas – and then resume the war when Hamas rejects them.

Netanyahu's remarks reinforced this concern. After their release, Hamas said they represented “an unequivocal confirmation of its rejection” of the US-backed deal, which also received support from the United Nations Security Council.

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In a statement Sunday evening after Netanyahu's lengthy television interview, the Palestinian activist group said its position was “in contrast” to what the U.S. administration said Israel had approved. The group said its insistence that any agreement should include a permanent ceasefire and the withdrawal of all Israeli forces from the entire Gaza Strip “was an unavoidable necessity to block attempts to evasion, deception and perpetuation of Netanyahu’s aggression and war. of extermination against our people.

Netanyahu responded and, in a statement from his office, said Hamas was opposed to a deal. He said Israel would not withdraw from Gaza until all 120 hostages were returned.

Hamas welcomed the broad outlines of the American plan but proposed what it calls “amendments.” US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, during a visit to the region earlier this month, said some of Hamas's demands were “achievable” and others were not, without elaborating.

Both Netanyahu and Hamas have an interest in continuing this devastating war despite the catastrophic toll it has taken on civilians in Gaza and the growing anger in Israel because after so many months, Israel has not achieved its goal of returning the hostages and defeat Hamas.

The hostages' families have become increasingly impatient with Netanyahu, viewing his apparent reluctance to move forward on a deal as tainted by political considerations. A group representing the families condemned Netanyahu's comments as an Israeli rejection of the latest ceasefire proposal.

“This is an abandonment of the 120 hostages and a violation of the moral duty of the state towards its citizens,” he said, stressing that he held Netanyahu responsible for the return of all the captives .

In their October 7 cross-border attack, Hamas-led militants killed 1,200 people and captured 250 people, including women, children and the elderly. Dozens of people were freed under a temporary ceasefire agreement in late November, and of the 120 remaining hostages, Israeli authorities say about a third died.

Israel's war of retaliation has killed more than 37,000 Palestinians, according to the Hamas-run territory's health ministry. This triggered a humanitarian crisis and led to the displacement of most of the territory's 2.3 million people.

Magdy reported from Cairo.