The viability of a U.S.-backed proposal to wind down the was cast into doubt on Monday after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he would only be willing to agree to a 鈥減artial鈥� ceasefire deal that would not end the war, comments that sparked an uproar from families of hostages held by Hamas.
In an interview broadcast late Sunday on Israeli Channel 14, a conservative, pro-Netanyahu station, the Israeli leader said he was 鈥減repared to make a partial deal 鈥� this is no secret 鈥� that will return to us some of the people,鈥� referring to the roughly 120 hostages still held in the Gaza Strip. 鈥淏ut we are committed to continuing the war after a pause, in order to complete the goal of eliminating Hamas. I鈥檓 not willing to give up on that.鈥�
Netanyahu鈥檚 comments did not deviate dramatically from what he has said previously about his terms for a deal. But they come at a sensitive time as Israel and Hamas appear to be moving further apart over the latest cease-fire proposal, and they could represent another setback for mediators trying to end the war.
Netanyahu鈥檚 comments stood in sharp contrast to the detailed late last month by U.S. President Joe Biden, who framed the plan as an Israeli one and which some in Israel refer to as 鈥淣etanyahu鈥檚 deal.鈥� His remarks could , its top ally, which launched a major diplomatic push for the latest cease-fire proposal.
The three-phased plan would bring about the release of the remaining hostages in exchange for hundreds of Palestinians imprisoned by Israel. But between Israel and Hamas over how the deal plays out.
Hamas has insisted it will not release the remaining hostages unless there鈥檚 a permanent cease-fire and a full 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 committed to destroying Hamas鈥� military and governing capabilities, and ensuring it can never again carry out an Oct. 7-style assault. A full withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza, where Hamas鈥� top leadership and much of its forces are still intact, would almost certainly leave the group in control of the territory and able to rearm.
In the interview, Netanyahu said that , setting the stage for Israel to send more troops to its northern border to confront the Lebanese militant group , in what could open up a new war front. But he said that didn鈥檛 mean the war in Gaza was over.
During the initial six-week phase, the sides are supposed to negotiate an agreement on the second phase, which Biden said would include the release of all remaining living hostages, including male soldiers, and Israel鈥檚 full withdrawal from Gaza. The temporary cease-fire would become permanent.
Hamas appears concerned that Israel will resume the war once its most vulnerable hostages are returned. And even if it doesn鈥檛, Israel could make demands in that stage of negotiations that were not part of the initial deal and are unacceptable to Hamas 鈥� and then resume the war when Hamas refuses them.
Netanyahu鈥檚 remarks reinforced that concern. After they were aired, Hamas said they represented 鈥渦nmistakable confirmation of his rejection鈥� of the U.S.-supported deal, which also received .
In a statement late Sunday after Netanyahu鈥檚 lengthy TV interview, the Palestinian militant group said his position was 鈥渋n contrast鈥� to what the U.S. administration said that Israel had approved. The group said that its insistence that any deal should include a permanent cease-fire and the withdrawal of all Israeli forces out of the entire Gaza Strip 鈥渨as an inevitable necessity to block Netanyahu鈥檚 attempts of evasion, deception, and perpetuation of aggression and the war of extermination against our people.鈥�
Netanyahu shot back and in a statement from his office said Hamas opposed a deal. He said Israel would not withdraw from Gaza until all 120 hostages are returned.
Hamas welcomed the broad outline of the U.S. plan but proposed what it said were 鈥渁mendments.鈥� U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, during a visit to the region earlier this month, said some of Hamas鈥� demands were 鈥渨orkable鈥� and some were not, without elaborating.
Netanyahu and Hamas both have despite the catastrophic toll it has had on civilians in Gaza and the mounting anger in Israel that after so many months Israel has not reached its aims of returning the hostages and defeating Hamas.
The families of hostages have grown increasingly impatient with Netanyahu, seeing his apparent reluctance to move ahead on a deal as tainted by political considerations. A group representing the families condemned Netanyahu鈥檚 remarks, which it viewed as an Israeli rejection of the latest cease-fire proposal.
鈥淭his is an abandonment of the 120 hostages and a violation of the state鈥檚 moral duty toward its citizens,鈥� it said, noting that it held Netanyahu responsible for returning all the captives.
In its Oct. 7 cross-border assault, Hamas-led militants killed 1,200 people and took 250 people captive, including women, children and older people. Dozens were freed in a temporary cease-fire deal in late November and of the 120 remaining hostages, Israeli authorities say about a third are dead.
Israel鈥檚 retaliatory war has killed more than 37,000 Palestinians, according to the Health Ministry in the Hamas-ruled territory. It has sparked a humanitarian crisis and displaced most of the territory鈥檚 2.3 million population.
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