Photo: Mahmoud Assa / AFP
The ceasefire talks between Israel and Hamas are at a standstill due to the demands of the Palestinian movement. According to the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Hamas has rejected some of the agreements reached earlier and is creating a “crisis” to complete the hostage deal, the Times of Israel reports.
“Hamas is attempting to revise the terms of the mediated agreement and is putting forward new demands at the last minute. This is preventing us from reaching an agreement,” the Israeli government said in a statement.
The main stumbling block is Hamas’s demand that it independently identify the Palestinian prisoners to be released under the agreement. Israel categorically rejects the release of terrorists involved in the 7 October 2023 attacks that claimed the lives of hundreds of civilians.
“Israel will not sign the agreement until the mediators guarantee that Hamas has accepted all the previously agreed terms,” the Prime Minister’s office said.
Earlier, Israeli and international media, including the Jerusalem Post, reported that some of the terms of the deal, including the release of hostages, had not yet been agreed upon.
Israel stresses that the release of prisoners who participated in terrorist attacks is unacceptable. The negotiations are ongoing with the active mediation of the international community.
