Jerusalem, Mar 26 (EFE).- Israel on Tuesday dismissed Hamas’ proposal for a comprehensive Gaza ceasefire and the return of hostages as “delusional.”
“Israel will not address Hamas’ delusional demands. Israel will pursue and achieve its just war objectives,” the Prime Minister’s Office said in a statement.
The statement reiterated Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s oft-repeated vow that the Israeli forces were committed to “destroying Hamas’ military and governmental capacities, releasing all the hostages, and ensuring Gaza will not pose a threat to the people of Israel in the future.”
The statement came a day after the United Nations Security Council called for a ceasefire in Gaza, with the US abstaining from the vote.
Hamas welcomed the UN vote, asserting that the ceasefire needed to be permanent.
“We confirm our readiness to engage in an immediate prisoner exchange process that leads to the release of prisoners on both sides,” the Palestinian Islamist group said.
The stance marked a departure from the militant group’s demand of seeking a complete end to the Middle East conflict.
But Israel said the stance demonstrated that Hamas was disinterested in a negotiated deal, attesting “to the damage done by the UN Security Council’s resolution.”
“Hamas has again rejected an American compromise proposal and has repeated its extreme demands,” the Israeli PMO said.
The statement said the demand seeking an immediate halt to the war and the complete withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Gaza Strip would leave the Palestinian enclave again in the hands of Hamas “so that it can repeat, time and again, the massacre of Oct. 7 as it has promised to do.”
Netanyahu has called on his negotiating team in Doha to return to Israel.
Hamas informed the mediators – Qatar, Egypt, and the US – last night that they were reinstating these conditions, which they had previously demanded in a previous round of negotiations, following indirect talks held over the weekend in Doha between the parties in hopes of reaching an agreement.
“Hamas rebuffed all US offers for a compromise, while celebrating the Security Council’s resolution,” the Israeli PMO said.
The proposal rejected by Hamas would involve the release of about 700 to 800 Palestinian prisoners, including around 100 convicted of murder, in exchange for the release of around 40 hostages, primarily women, children, the sick, and the elderly in a first phase, according to the Israeli media.
A crucial aspect of the negotiations involves high-profile Palestinian prisoners.
Hamas demands the release of approximately 30 high-security prisoners, sentenced to life for alleged terrorist attacks, for each female soldier the Palestinian group frees.
Israel’s counteroffer is to release five of these prisoners for each female soldier.
Another demand from Hamas is the return of thousands of displaced Gazans to the northern Gaza Strip. Israel reportedly agreed to allow the return of around 2,000 residents per day, starting two weeks from the entry into force of the ceasefire agreement.
Up to now, Hamas and Israel have reached only one ceasefire agreement in the last nearly six months of war.
The truce lasted for a week in November and allowed for the exchange of 105 hostages for 240 Palestinian prisoners. EFE
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