Hamas has accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of introducing new conditions and demands that hindered the progress of the Gaza hostage and ceasefire talks held in Rome over the weekend. The talks involved officials from the US, Israel, Egypt, and Qatar who convened in the Italian capital to continue negotiations on a potential agreement.
During the discussions, a proposal for an agreement was put forward, along with a clarification document from Israel as reported by Israel's Prime Minister's Office. However, Hamas issued a statement criticizing Netanyahu's approach, alleging that he resorted to tactics of procrastination and evasion by imposing fresh conditions that were not in line with the mediators' understanding of the situation.
According to Hamas, Netanyahu's new demands contradicted the essence of an 'Israeli' paper that was part of a larger initiative led by President Biden and subsequently endorsed by the UN Security Council. The statement from Hamas suggested that Netanyahu's insistence on additional terms, such as restricting armed individuals in northern Gaza and asserting Israeli control over the Philadelphi corridor, a strategic buffer zone along the Egypt-Gaza border, reflected a shift towards obstructing the negotiation process.
It was reported that these 11th-hour demands from Netanyahu had complicated the talks and raised concerns about the prospects of reaching a mutually acceptable agreement. The accusations leveled by Hamas against the Israeli Prime Minister underscore the challenges and complexities involved in finding a resolution to the longstanding conflict in the region.
