FACTBOX - Israel's Gaza genocide: How Netanyahu has blocked cease-fire efforts for a year

By Ahmed Asmar

ANKARA (AA) – Facing stubborn Israeli obstructionism, Palestinians remain skeptical on achieving substantial progress that would alleviate the severe hardships they have endured in Israel’s year-long devastating military onslaught against the Gaza Strip.

Indirect cease-fire talks are expected to resume next week, as announced by US and Qatari officials, but Palestinians remain dubious.

Doubts persist about Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu’s commitment to concluding the conflict through discussions.

Netanyahu and his Cabinet, particularly members from the extreme far-right, continue to advocate an intensification of the military onslaught, heightening the risk of escalating the conflict to a regional war, despite international diplomatic efforts.

From the early days of the Israeli war on Oct. 7, 2023, countries and international groups have engaged in efforts and initiatives to end the fighting and reach a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas under which an exchange of prisoners could be realized.

Almost all those efforts, however, have failed and have been obstructed by Netanyahu, who has insisted on keeping the fighting going, along with putting complicated conditions that make it impossible for a cease-fire to take effect.

Netanyahu was strengthened by the US’ position, which never laid blame on him but, on the contrary, was quick to accuse Palestinian group Hamas of wasting opportunities to reach a deal.

Regional tensions have escalated due to Israel’s brutal offensive, which has killed more than 42,800 people, mostly women and children, following the Hamas attack last October.

As the conflict spread to Lebanon with Israel launching deadly strikes across that country, more than 2,500 people have been killed and over 12,000 injured in Israeli attacks since last October, according to Lebanese health authorities.

Despite international warnings that the Middle East region is on the brink of a regional war due to Israel’s relentless attacks on Gaza and Lebanon, Tel Aviv expanded the conflict by launching a ground assault into southern Lebanon on Oct. 1.

Here are the main positions by Netanyahu and his government officials in the last year rejecting or setting more conditions in the face of cease-fire efforts:

- Nov. 9, 2023 - Netanyahu rejects a deal for a five-day cease-fire with Hamas in return for the release of some hostages in Gaza.

- Nov. 29 - Netanyahu vows to resume war in Gaza following end of a week-long truce as he rejects efforts to renew it. Shortly after the announcement, Israel resumes fighting and bombing Gaza on Dec. 1.

- Dec. 20 - While Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh – later assassinated by Israel in Tehran in July – is in Cairo for talks to broker new a cease-fire or truce, Netanyahu makes it clear that "there would be no cease-fire in the Gaza Strip until the elimination of the Hamas group."

- Jan. 22, 2024 - Netanyahu rejects a proposal by Hamas to end war and release the captives in exchange for withdrawing Israeli forces from Gaza and releasing prisoners. He claims the agreement would be like surrendering to Hamas.

- Feb. 7 - Hamas proposes a cease-fire plan that would see a four-and-a-half-month truce during which a prisoner swap deal in three stages would be achieved, and would lead to an end to the war. Netanyahu immediately rejects the "delusional" offer and renews his pledge to destroy Hamas and achieve a "total victory."

- March 15 - Hamas presents a new cease-fire plan to end the Gaza war that includes the release of Israeli captives in exchange for Palestinian prisoners, 100 of whom are serving life sentences in Israeli jails. The plan suggests a three-phase cease-fire, with each stage lasting 42 days.

Netanyahu’s office says on the same day that the new proposal was still based on “unrealistic demands.”

- April - Cease-fire efforts almost reach a deadlock, as Israel, Netanyahu in particular, pushes for an invasion of Rafah in the southernmost part of the Gaza Strip, which was home before the invasion to more than 1.5 million displaced Palestinians, who took refuge there from the war.

- Early May - Hamas says it accepted an Egyptian cease-fire proposal that Israel previously accepted. Israel, however, accuses the Palestinian resistance group of changing the terms of original proposal. A day later on May 7, Netanyahu claims the offer from Hamas was meant to “disrupt” Israel’s invasion of Rafah.

- May 31 - US President Joe Biden says Israel presented a three-phase deal that would end hostilities in Gaza and secure the release of hostages held in coastal enclave. The plan includes a cease-fire, hostage-prisoner exchange and the reconstruction of Gaza.

Immediately following Biden's announcement, Hamas says it welcomed Biden’s remarks and his encouragement for “a permanent cease-fire, withdrawal of (Israeli) occupation forces from the Gaza Strip, reconstruction and prisoners exchange." The group says it is ready to respond “positively and constructively” to any proposal that includes these measures.

While there was no immediate reaction by Israel to Biden's cease-fire proposal announcement, on June 3, Israeli officials start to push back from the deal, as Netanyahu insists there were gaps between the Biden proposal and Israel’s stance.

- June 10 – In a 14-0 vote, the UN Security Council approves US-sponsored resolution to support the American-backed cease-fire plan for Gaza.

Hamas issues a statement welcoming the vote, saying it is ready “to enter into indirect negotiations on the implementation of these principles,” while Netanyahu insists on continuing the war, and only shows interest in "partial deal."

- July 2 - Hamas agrees to a July 2 framework agreement, presented by mediators, based on Biden's vision and a UN Security Council resolution. Israel, however, adds “new conditions that had not been proposed throughout the negotiation process,” according to a statement by Hamas.

Netanyahu on July 7 says that any “agreement must allow Israel to continue fighting, prevent the smuggling of weapons to Hamas through the Gaza-Egypt border, and prevent thousands of gunmen from returning to northern Gaza.”

- In early August, as a new round of cease-fire talks starts in Doha and Rome, the New York Times reveals documents that show Netanyahu was practically obstructing a cease-fire deal, setting new conditions before the Rome talks, including control over the Philadelphi Corridor – a 14-kilometer (8.69-mile) demilitarized buffer zone running along the Gaza-Egypt border.

- The latest in the series of the Israeli, and in particular Netanyahu's, rejection of any cease-fire proposal was on Sept. 25 as the US, EU, and nine other nations encouraged Israel and Hezbollah to agree to a 21-day cease-fire amid an escalation in their cross-border warfare. Netanyahu's office rejects the offer shortly after it is announced.