Hamas says Netanyahu set new conditions hindering completion of cease-fire deal

By Mohammed Majed

GAZA CITY, Palestine (AA) - Palestinian resistance movement Hamas said on Sunday that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu set new conditions in the Gaza cease-fire and hostage swap proposal that was negotiated in Doha on Thursday and Friday, preventing the completion of the deal.

“The new proposal meets Netanyahu's conditions and aligns with them, particularly his refusal of a permanent cease-fire, a complete withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, and his insistence on continuing the occupation of the Netzarim Junction (which separates the north and south of the Gaza Strip), the Rafah crossing, and the Philadelphi Corridor (in the south),” Hamas said in a statement.

"He also set new conditions in the hostage swap file and retracted from other terms, which obstructs the completion of the deal."

Following the recent round of negotiations in Doha, Hamas confirmed “once again that Netanyahu is still putting obstacles in the way of reaching an agreement, setting new conditions and demands to sabotage the mediators' efforts and prolong the war.”

The movement emphasized its commitment to what it agreed upon on July 2, based on the proposal backed by US President Joe Biden and the UN Security Council resolution.

It called on the mediators “to fulfill their responsibilities and compel the occupation (Israeli) to implement what has been agreed upon.”

Cease-fire talks in Doha concluded on Friday after presenting "a proposal that narrows the gaps" between Israel and Hamas that is consistent with the principles set out by Biden on May 31.

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

Israel has killed more than 40,000 Palestinians since an Oct. 7 cross-border attack that claimed 1,200 lives and around 250 were taken as hostages. Israeli actions have triggered a humanitarian disaster and an ongoing trial over alleged genocide at the International Court of Justice.

For months, the US, Qatar and Egypt have been trying to reach an agreement between Israel and Hamas to ensure a hostage-prisoner exchange and cease-fire, but to no avail. A week-long truce and exchange of hostages in return for Palestinian prisoners ended on Dec. 1.

*Writing by Rania Abu Shamala in Istanbul