Israeli official says it’s clear Netanyahu doesn’t want a deal with Hamas

A senior Israeli official has told Al-Monitor that it’s clear Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu doesn’t want a ceasefire and hostage deal with Hamas after he released his list of “non-negotiable” demands ahead of sensitive negotiations.

(Article by Dave DeCamp republished from News.Antiwar.com)

Netanyahu’s demands included the condition that Israel would be allowed to resume military operations. Hamas’s main demand has been that any deal leads to a permanent ceasefire. While the group has reportedly softened on that stance a bit, Netanyahu has repeatedly made clear he wouldn’t agree to end his genocidal campaign.

“Anyone wanting to succeed in fateful and difficult negotiations does not emphasize the gaps and difficulties twice a day, but tries to emphasize the agreements and the prospects. It is clear to all of us that Netanyahu simply does not want the deal,” the unnamed senior official said.

Israeli officials believe Netanyahu is trying to ensure a deal isn’t reached before his address to the US Congress in Washington later this month. A ceasefire agreement could lead to a collapse of his coalition government as National Security Advisor Itamar Ben Gvir has threatened to quit. Officials also think Netanyahu wants to hold out until November in hopes that President Trump is re-elected.

The Al-Monitor report said that Egyptian mediators were infuriated by Netanyahu’s “non-negotiable” demands, while Qatari mediators were puzzled, and US officials were the least surprised of all. The report said the US would have been surprised if Netanyahu had not thrown a spanner into the works.

Haaretz reported on Tuesday that Egypt, Qatar, and the US are currently awaiting clarification from Mossad Chief David Barnea on how flexible Israel will be about Netanyahu’s demands. The report also cited sources who said Netanyahu was sabotaging the deal to stay in power.

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