Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office on Thursday accused the Islamic terrorist group Hamas of creating a "last-minute crisis" after allegedly trying to modify details of a draft agreement to free Israeli hostages and a ceasefire announced yesterday by Qatar, and said the Jerusalem government would not approve its implementation until the disagreements were clarified.
“Hamas is reneging on parts of the agreement reached with the mediators and Israel in an effort to extort last-minute concessions,” the president’s office said today. “The Cabinet will not meet until the mediators notify Israel that Hamas has accepted all elements of the agreement.”
In a statement in response, Hamas said it was “committed to the ceasefire agreement announced by the mediators.” Basem Naim, a member of Hamas’s political bureau, said he did not know what Netanyahu’s words about new demands were referring to.
The government meeting, which was scheduled for Thursday at 11:00 am, has thus been postponed indefinitely until the differences are resolved, but reports suggest it could take place this afternoon.
In a first statement early this morning, Netanyahu's office said that the prime minister had spoken by telephone with the mediators in Doha, who informed him that Hamas was trying to distance itself from what had already been agreed on May 27, by wanting to choose which terrorist prisoners would be released in a hostage swap.
“Among other things, contrary to an explicit clause granting Israel the right to veto the release of mass murderers who are symbols of terrorism, Hamas wants to dictate the identity of these terrorists,” the text denounces, in what it describes as “attempts at blackmail.”
According to the Kan public broadcaster, the sudden delay in the government vote could in turn be due to “ongoing deliberations” by the Religious Zionism party, headed by Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, on whether or not to leave the government once the ceasefire is approved.
Both Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir oppose what they see as a “surrender” agreement to Hamas.
But even if this were to happen, Netanyahu would have majority support to give the green light to the ceasefire, which would come into effect on Sunday.
According to leaks, in a first phase Hamas will gradually release 33 hostages (living and dead) in exchange for hundreds of imprisoned Palestinian terrorists, giving priority to women still held captive - including soldiers -, people over 50, those under nineteen and the sick.
Agencies contributed to this Aurora article
Why is there an agreement?
Why did soldiers die in Gaza?
Why won't there be another October 7th in the future, perpetrated by the same groups?
The military leadership of the Israeli army cannot be occupied by leftists who worry about how much damage is done to the enemy; it should be occupied by the leadership of the Colombian and Mexican cartels.
At that point any organization of lazy extremists would think twice before doing anything against Israel.
If those poor ignorant Hamas people only knew that by blowing themselves up as “martyrs” they go straight to hell…that the whole thing about the 72 virgins is just a tale from the Koran…and that there they will meet MUHAMMAD himself…