Israel dismisses Hamas's latest peace proposal, calling it defeat
Photo: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (Getty Images)
Israel has rejected a new ceasefire and hostage-exchange proposal from the Palestinian group Hamas, saying that accepting the plan would be seen as a defeat in the ongoing war.
The report comes from the Jerusalem Post.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed reports suggesting that Hamas had agreed to a ceasefire deal in exchange for the release of hostages.
"Like you, I hear the reports in the media, from which you can gather one thing: Hamas is under immense pressure," Netanyahu said, adding that he had discussed plans for Gaza and the completion of Israel’s missions with the defense minister and the IDF chief of staff.
Meanwhile, Israel’s National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir warned that if Netanyahu agreed to halt the war in exchange for concessions to Hamas, it would be "crying shame and a missed opportunity.”
"Last time, the prime minister missed President [Donald] Trump's ultimatum, which demanded the release of all hostages or open the gates of hell, despite my warning that it would be a historic mistake," Ben-Gvir said. He added, "We now have the opportunity to defeat Hamas, and I tell the prime minister: You do not have the mandate to go for a partial deal and not defeat Hamas."
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, leader of the far-right Religious Zionist Party, echoed this view, writing on X that Hamas’s proposal looked like "abandoning half of the hostages and could lead to ending the war in defeat."
He posted on X, "Hamas is under great pressure from the occupation of Gaza because it understands that this eliminates it and ends the story. Therefore, it is trying to stop it by returning to a partial deal. We must not give in and grant the enemy a lifeline. Continue to the end, win, and bring back all the hostages in one fell swoop."
Religious Zionist MK Zvi Sukkot also warned against any ceasefire arrangement: "A partial deal will lead to the abandonment of half of the hostages, an enormous risk to IDF soldiers in the continuation of the fighting, a boost of oxygen to Hamas, and the loss of the little international legitimacy we still have," he posted on X/Twitter.
By contrast, Benny Gantz, head of the Blue and White party, offered support to Netanyahu if the government chose to approve an agreement. "The government has a clear majority and a wide safety net to bring back the hostages," Gantz posted on X and said, "Netanyahu, this is not a time to hesitate - this is a time for making the right decisions for the people of Israel and Israel's security."
New military operation in Gaza
Recently, the Israeli government approved a plan for a new military operation to seize Gaza City. Netanyahu stressed that the objective was not to occupy the city, but to free it from Hamas.
According to Israeli media, the operation would include the evacuation of civilians ahead of the assault. Jerusalem is also in talks with five countries to accept Palestinian refugees from Gaza.
