Netanyahu Faces Accusations of Thwarting Gaza Truce, Claims Hamas

 Hamas Accuses Netanyahu of Stalling Gaza Ceasefire Deal Amid Tensions

Hamas on Thursday accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of trying to "frustrate" a Gaza ceasefire deal after the Israeli leader claimed the Palestinian militant group had "rejected everything" during negotiations.

The blame game intensifies as Netanyahu faces increasing pressure to finalize an agreement that would secure the release of remaining hostages, following Israeli authorities' announcement on Sunday that the bodies of six hostages were recovered from a Gaza tunnel.

"We're trying to find common ground to begin negotiations," Netanyahu stated on Wednesday. "They [Hamas] refuse to do that... [They say] there’s nothing left to discuss."

Netanyahu maintains that Israel must retain control over the Philadelphi Corridor along the Egypt-Gaza border to prevent arms smuggling to Hamas, which launched an attack on Israel on October 7, sparking the ongoing conflict.

Israel's State leader Benjamin Netanyahu remains
before a guide of the Gaza Strip as he talks during
a public interview at the Public authority Press
Office (GPO) in Jerusalem on 4 September, 2024 . AFP.

Hamas, however, is demanding a complete Israeli withdrawal from the area and on Thursday claimed Netanyahu's insistence on controlling the border zone is meant to obstruct any agreement. The militant group contends that a new deal is unnecessary, as they had previously agreed to a ceasefire outlined by U.S. President Joe Biden.

"We don't need new proposals," Hamas said in a statement on Telegram. "We warn against falling into Netanyahu’s trap, as he uses negotiations to prolong aggression against our people."

U.S. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller told reporters that Washington believes "there are ways to address" the stalemate.

The October 7 attack by Hamas
resulted in the deaths of 1,205 people

Protests Over Hostage Deaths

Amid protests in several Israeli cities this week, Netanyahu's critics have blamed him for the hostages' deaths, accusing him of refusing to make necessary concessions for a truce agreement.

"We're just waiting for them to come back to us, to return alive and not in coffins," said Anet Kidron, a resident of Kibbutz Be’eri, which was attacked on October 7.

Netanyahu indicated that key sticking points in the ceasefire talks revolve around the Palestinian prisoners that Israel would release in exchange for hostages.

Qatar, a key mediator, accused Israel on Tuesday of "trying to distort facts and deceive global public opinion by repeating lies." Such tactics, Qatar's foreign ministry warned, "will ultimately lead to the collapse of peace efforts."

The October 7 attack by Hamas resulted in the deaths of 1,205 people, mostly civilians, including several hostages who were killed in captivity, according to official Israeli figures. Of the 251 hostages taken by Palestinian militants, 97 remain in Gaza, including 33 whom the Israeli military believes are dead. Dozens were released during a one-week ceasefire in November.

Israel's retaliatory offensive in Gaza has so far killed at least 40,861 people, according to Gaza's health ministry, which is run by Hamas. The majority of the casualties are women and children, the UN rights office reported.

Expanding the Offensive

While Israel continues its military offensive in Gaza, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant called for the army to use its "full strength" against Palestinian militants in the occupied West Bank.

"Terrorist organizations under various names, whether in Nur al-Shams, Tulkarem, Faraa, or Jenin, must be eradicated," Gallant said, referring to towns and refugee camps where Israeli military operations are ongoing.

On Thursday, the Israeli military said its aircraft "carried out three targeted strikes on armed terrorists" in the Tubas area, which includes the Faraa refugee camp. A strike on a vehicle resulted in "five deaths and one seriously injured" in Tubas, according to the Palestinian Red Crescent Society.

Witnesses told AFP that they saw large numbers of Israeli troops storming Faraa camp, where explosions were heard.

Since Israel’s offensive began in the northern West Bank on August 28, more than 30 Palestinians have been killed, including children and militants, according to the region's health ministry. One Israeli soldier has died in Jenin, where most Palestinian fatalities have occurred.

"Fear spread as the army was blowing up everything around, without considering that there were children," said Hanan Natour, a resident of Jenin refugee camp.

Israeli forces have destroyed infrastructure in Jenin and other areas of the West Bank, with the United Nations reporting that the military has restricted hospital access and used "war-like tactics."

Polio Vaccination Efforts Amid Devastation

Israel's offensive in Gaza has left the region in ruins, with the destruction of water and sanitation infrastructure blamed for the spread of disease. As part of its campaign, the Israeli military has leveled neighborhoods and farms to create a so-called buffer zone between Israel and Gaza.

Amnesty International on Thursday called for Israel's plan to be investigated as "war crimes of wanton destruction and collective punishment," though the military declined to comment when contacted by AFP.

The humanitarian crisis has led to Gaza's first polio case in years, prompting a massive vaccination drive launched Sunday during temporary "humanitarian pauses" in the fighting.

Nearly 200,000 children in central Gaza have already received a first dose of the vaccine, according to the World Health Organization. A second phase of the campaign is set to begin Thursday in southern Gaza, before health workers move north.

The effort aims to fully vaccinate more than 640,000 children, with second doses scheduled for about a month from now.