Netanyahu and Hamas trade accusations over lack of progress in hostage, ceasefire negotiations

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office traded accusations with the Hamas terrorist organization on Monday evening over the apparent lack of progress in securing a hostage release and ceasefire deal during negotiations in Rome, Italy.

On Monday, Hamas released a statement accusing Netanyahu of “setting new conditions” in the hostage ceasefire negotiations. 

“We received an update from the mediators on what happened in the meeting with representatives of Israel in Rome,” the statement read. “From what we have been told, we get the impression that Netanyahu is continuing his strategy of procrastination and evasion from reaching an agreement by setting new conditions that include a withdrawal from what he proposed in the past and from the outline presented by President Biden and approved by the UN Security Council.” 

On Monday evening, Netanyahu’s office responded: “The Hamas leadership is preventing an agreement. Israel did not change or add any condition to the outline. On the contrary, until this moment it has been Hamas that has demanded 29 changes and has not responded to the original outline. Israel stands by its principles according to the original outline – maximizing the number of live abductees, Israeli control of the Philadelphi Corridor, and preventing the passage of terrorists and weapons into the northern Gaza Strip.” 

Meanwhile, the Qatari and Egyptian mediators indicated that both sides are still interested in continuing the talks. 

According to Arab newspaper Asharq Al-Awsat, the Israeli prime minister presented a new condition during the negotiations in Rome, demanding a list of the names of living hostages. The newspaper also reported that Netanyahu is unwilling to release 100 Palestinian prisoners serving life sentences for terror crimes in exchange for the Israeli hostages. 

Israel's Walla news site cited a “senior Israeli official” claiming that the updated Israeli proposal includes the establishment of a foreign mechanism to prevent the passage of terrorists and weapons from the south of the Gaza Strip to the north. The proposal also states that IDF troops will remain in the Philadelphi Corridor between Gaza and Egypt during the implementation of the first phase of the deal.

The Israeli government does not consider the statement issued by Hamas as an official response to the deal and is waiting for mediators to respond before determining its next course of action, a senior official told the Maariv news site.

According to several Hebrew news sites, Netanyahu briefly addressed the Security Cabinet on Sunday evening regarding the negotiations after several ministers argued about the failure to achieve a deal. Netanyahu promised the ministers to hold another discussion after the Israeli negotiating team returns from Rome.