The hopes for a swift resolution to the hostage crisis in Gaza took a hit on Sunday as a Hamas official declared that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s rejection of their conditions leaves “no chance” for the return of the remaining hostages.
The Hamas conditions reportedly include allowing the militant group to retain power and a complete Israeli withdrawal from the territory.
Netanyahu dismissed these terms, stating that they included unacceptable demands such as the release of convicted criminals and the preservation of Hamas’s authority.
He firmly rejected what he referred to as the “terms of surrender of the monsters of Hamas.” The hostages, numbering around 130, have become a focal point of domestic and international pressure on Netanyahu to seek their release.
Sami Abu Zuhri, a Hamas official, conveyed to Reuters that Netanyahu’s refusal to halt the military offensive in Gaza has significantly diminished the possibility of the hostages’ return.
Family members of the captives intensified pressure on the Israeli prime minister by staging a protest outside his private residence in Jerusalem on Sunday evening.
The Hostages and Missing Families Forum declared that they would persist in their demonstration until Netanyahu agreed to a deal for the hostages’ release.
In a separate statement, the advocacy group urged Netanyahu to clarify his stance on the matter, emphasizing that abandoning the kidnapped civilians and soldiers is not an acceptable option.
The group demanded transparency, suggesting the prime minister share his position with the Israeli public.
The backdrop to this hostage crisis includes a previous deal brokered in November, with the United States, Qatar, and Egypt involved.
Over 100 of the estimated 240 hostages taken during a Hamas attack in October were released in exchange for 240 Palestinians held in Israeli prisons. Since then, attempts to secure a lasting ceasefire have repeatedly failed.
Netanyahu, facing criticism for the conduct of the war, reiterated his commitment to pursue the offensive in Gaza until achieving “total victory.”
However, scepticism within Israel has grown, with commentators questioning the feasibility of the offensive’s goals and accusing the prime minister of indecision.
The international community has also expressed concerns. UN Chief António Guterres, speaking at a global summit in Kampala, Uganda, labelled Israel’s three-month assault on Gaza as unprecedented in scale, emphasizing the “heartbreaking and utterly unacceptable” civilian casualties.
Gaza’s health ministry reported that the conflict has claimed the lives of 25,000 Palestinians, predominantly women and children.
Thousands more are feared to be under the rubble across Gaza.
In a further development, Netanyahu rejected U.S. President Joe Biden’s call for a Palestinian state post-war.
Netanyahu’s office stated that he reiterated his policy that Israel must retain security control over Gaza after Hamas is destroyed to ensure it no longer poses a threat, a stance at odds with the demand for Palestinian sovereignty.
As tensions escalate and the hostage crisis remains unresolved, the international community watches closely, hoping for a diplomatic breakthrough to end the protracted conflict in the region.
This article was created using automation technology and was thoroughly edited and fact-checked by one of our editorial staff members