Hamas Says Netanyahu Trying to ‘Thwart’ Gaza Truce

AFP/APP

Jerusalem: Hamas on Thursday accused Benjamin Netanyahu of trying to “thwart” a Gaza truce deal after the Israeli premier said the Palestinian militant group has “rejected everything” in negotiations.

The blame trading comes as Netanyahu faces pressure to seal a deal that would free remaining hostages, after Israeli authorities announced on Sunday the deaths of six whose bodies were recovered from a Gaza tunnel.

“We’re trying to find some area to begin the negotiations,” Netanyahu said Wednesday. “They (Hamas) refuse to do that… (They said) there’s nothing to talk about.”

Netanyahu maintains that Israel must retain control over the Philadelphi Corridor along the Egypt-Gaza border to prevent weapons smuggling to Hamas, whose October 7 attack on Israel started the war.

Hamas is demanding a complete Israeli withdrawal from the area and on Thursday said Netanyahu’s insistence on the border zone “aims to thwart reaching an agreement.”

The Palestinian militant group says a new deal is unnecessary because they agreed months ago to a truce outlined by US President Joe Biden. “We do not need new proposals,” the group said on Telegram.

“We warn against falling into the trap of Netanyahu and his tricks, who uses negotiations to prolong the aggression against our people,” the Hamas statement added.

US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller told reporters that Washington thinks “there are ways to address” the impasse.