Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu offered contrasting thoughts of President Joe Biden, who said a deal with Hamas terrorists for a cease-fire and hostage release is getting closer.
However, Netanyahu poured cold water on the Biden-Harris Administration’s claims, saying it was “exactly inaccurate” that an agreement was close.
“There’s not a deal in the making,” Netanyahu said, expressing concerns that the remaining 97 hostages could be smuggled into Iran or Yemen. “[Hamas] want[s] to reconstitute their terror kingdom.”
On the contrary, National Security spokesman John Kirby insisted there was a deal in the making and that disagreements on “implementing details” of such a proposal were the only thing that still needed to be discussed. Despite a recent report suggesting that the Biden White House questions whether Hamas still wants to make a deal, Kirby said, “If there’s compromise, if there’s leadership, we can still get there.”
Netanyahu argued that the only way to free the Israeli hostages, who are being held in the Sinai Peninsula in Egypt, is by maintaining the Philadelphi Route. This security corridor runs between the Gaza Strip and Egypt.
“Hol[d] the Philadelphi corridor, because that possesses Hamas, that prevents them from rearming," Netanhyu said. “It prevents Gaza from becoming this Iranian terror enclave again, which can threaten our existence.”
“But it's also the way to prevent them from smuggling hostages . . . into Egypt, into the Sinai, where they could disappear… Then they'll end up in Iran or in Yemen, and they're lost forever,” the Israeli Prime Minister continued.
The terrorist group released a new statement following conflicting reports of an alleged deal. Hamas said they do not want a new proposal but rather the Biden-Harris Administration to pressure “Netanyahu and his government and obligate them to what was agreed upon.”
“We warn against falling into Netanyahu’s trap and his tricks, as he is using negotiations to prolong the aggression against our people,” Hamas’ statement continued.
The current agreement includes three phases which begin by releasing the most vulnerable hostages in return for an Israeli troop withdrawal from densely populated areas of the territory and the release of Palestinian prisoners.
“We're doing everything we can to get the remainder [out]," Netanhyu reassured. "But Hamas consistently refuses to make a deal.”