Edited by Deepali Verma
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has declined the ceasefire deal in Gaza proposed by Hamas fighters, claiming possibility of “total victory” over the militant group in Gaza within months. The war between Israel and Hamas fighters has dragged for almost 4 months now, killing close to 30,000 Palestinians.
Netanyahu called the Hamas fighters ‘delusional’ in seeking a ceasefire as well as hostage deal. Matters escalated between Israel and Gaza, post a multi-pronged attack by Hamas fighters in Israel on October 7 last year.
Netanyahu said, “We aren’t committed to anything. There is no commitment to any of the delusional demands of Hamas, the numbers of terrorists with blood on their hands.”
“There has to be a negotiation, it’s a process. At the moment, from what I am seeing from Hamas, it’s not happening,” Netanyahu underlined.
Israel’s goal as Benjamin Netanyahu states is “complete victory” and that the country will “not do less than that.”
“The victory is achievable. It’s not a matter of years or decades now but a matter of months,” CNN quoted him as saying.
The answer from Netanyahu comes as a blow to US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who is visiting the area as an attempt to put a stop to the increased violence. However, the Israeli leader did not rule out the potential of engaging in further talks.
At a news conference in Beirut on February 7, Hamas spokesperson Osama Hamdan said that the organisation will send a team to Cairo to check up on its recommendations for the hostage as well as truce arrangements.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken had a meeting with Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Tel Aviv, as per a pool of reporters travelling with the secretary, reported CNN.
The US State Secretary is in Israel to meet with key government officials to push for a “humanitarian pause” as international and domestic US pressure to end the conflict in Gaza continues to mount, reported CNN.
The discussions in Tel Aviv attracted importance due to Hamas presenting a response to a proposal aimed at securing the release of remaining hostages held by the group and achieving a sustained cessation of fighting in Gaza.
The complete Hamas response outlines three phases, each lasting 45 days, that covers the withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza, a substantial humanitarian effort, and unrestricted movement for people across Gaza, as per information drawn from CNN.
Blinken’s current and last trip to the Middle East has stressed that the Israeli government must come to “difficult” decisions and move toward a two-state solution if it wants to attain normalisation with Saudi Arabia and if it wants the support of its Arab neighbours for security as well as reconstruction in Gaza.
