For the people of Gaza, hope for a respite continues to fade. The Israeli Prime Minister accused Hamas on Wednesday of having 'rejected' en bloc 'everything' that was proposed during the negotiations under the aegis of an international mediator with a view to obtaining a truce in Gaza in exchange for the release of the hostages held there.
Since the announcement of the discovery, on Sunday, of the bodies of six additional hostages by the Israeli army, Benjamin Netanyahu has been subjected to strong pressure from outside (notably from the United States, a member of the mediation with Qatar and Egypt), but also from within the Israeli population to reach an agreement that will allow the release of the hostages still held in Gaza in exchange for a truce in the fighting that will allow for a permanent and definitive ceasefire after almost eleven months of war.
The attack by Hamas commandos from Gaza on Israel on October 7 resulted in the deaths of 1,205 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP count based on official Israeli data. Of the 251 people kidnapped that day, 97 are still being held in Gaza, 33 of whom have been declared dead by the Israeli army.
During his press conference, Benjamin Netanyahu repeatedly wanted Israel to retain control of the Philadelphia Corridor, along the border between the Gaza Strip and Egypt, for as long as he deemed necessary, to prevent Hamas from rearming after the fighting, and affirmed that this sticking point in the negotiations was far from being the only one.
Anti-war protesters flood the streets of Israel as Netanyahu scuttled a draft ceasefire and hostage release agreement in July by introducing a series of new last-minute demands. This has led to accusations from hostage families that he is deliberately prolonging the war for personal political gain.
Commentator Thomas Friedman criticized Netanyahu's actions, suggesting that they are designed for his immediate political survival, potentially at the expense of Israel's long-term existence. He warns that Netanyahu's avoidance of agreements could worsen the situation in Gaza and complicate U.S. relations.
