Tel Aviv has rejected a proposal for a five-year ceasefire in Gaza, which included the return of all detainees, Israeli media reported.
The Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth, citing an unnamed senior political source, reported that the Israeli government is unwilling to agree to a truce with the Palestinian Resistance movement Hamas, which would allow the group to rearm and rebuild its capabilities to continue fighting Israel.
Meanwhile, Israel’s Maariv newspaper revealed that the security cabinet will convene for its third meeting this week to discuss the possibility of expanding military operations in Gaza.
Two days ago, Hamas signaled its readiness to negotiate a deal to end the war in Gaza, which would involve the release of all remaining prisoners in one go and a five-year truce.
Taher al-Nounou, media advisor to the head of Hamas’s political bureau, stated that the movement is open to a long-term truce but is not willing to surrender its weapons.
Sources close to the talks told Reuters news agency that Hamas seeks to gain support from mediators for its proposal, which includes a truce of five to seven years in exchange for halting the war, facilitating Gaza’s reconstruction, and engaging in a prisoner swap between the two sides.
Israel’s conditions for a comprehensive agreement include the return of all prisoners and the disarmament of Hamas and other Palestinian factions. However, Hamas has made it clear that disarmament is a “red line” for the movement.
‘No Plan’
In a related development, the Families of Israeli Prisoners held in Gaza have called for a demonstration in Tel Aviv on Wednesday, ahead of Israel’s “Independence Day” celebrations.
The families are demanding the immediate release of all 59 Israeli prisoners currently held in Gaza and the end of the war.
The committee representing these families criticized the rejection of the ceasefire proposal, stating, “It is now clear that Netanyahu’s government has no plan.”
Several family members of the Israeli prisoners criticized Netanyahu during his testimony in a Tel Aviv court, accusing him of abandoning the prisoners and leaving them to perish in Gaza.
In response, a Likud party spokesman dismissed the protesters as spouting “nonsense,” asserting that Netanyahu is focused on securing the return of the captives.
Tel Aviv estimates that 59 Israelis are held in Gaza, while over 9,900 Palestinians remain imprisoned, enduring torture, starvation, and medical neglect, with many having died, according to reports from both Palestinian and Israeli human rights organizations.
Ongoing Genocide
Since Israel’s reneging on the ceasefire on March 18, it has killed and wounded thousands of Palestinians throughout the Gaza Strip through a bloody and ongoing aerial bombardment.
On October 7, 2023, following a Palestinian Resistance operation in southern Israel, the Israeli military launched a genocidal war against the Palestinians, killing over 51,000, wounding more than 116,000, with over 14,000 still missing.
Despite habitual condemnation by many countries around the world of the Israeli genocide, little has been done to hold Israel accountable.
Israel is currently under investigation for the crime of genocide by the International Court of Justice, while accused war criminals — including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu — are now officially wanted by the International Criminal Court.
The Israeli genocide has been largely defended, supported, and financed by Washington and a few other Western powers.