Jerusalem.- Hopes for a ceasefire in Gaza faded Monday after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Hamas issued statements that reduced the chances of a compromise over the future of the territory.
In a statement on Sunday evening, Netanyahu said he only agrees to “Israel resuming combat until all the objectives of the war are achieved.”
The comments reiterated his long-standing stance that the war must continue until Israel has destroyed Hamas’s military and governing capabilities.
Hamas, which opposes a ceasefire unless it is permanent, said Monday that Israel’s continued military operations in Gaza are jeopardizing a return “to the negotiation process.”
Netanyahu’s insistence on resuming hostilities drew widespread criticism in Israel on Monday, where there is growing support for a ceasefire that could include the release of at least some Israeli hostages still held in Gaza.
Netanyahu’s ruling coalition relies on support from ultranationalist leaders who oppose a permanent truce and Monday’s criticism revived accusations that he is putting his personal interests before those of the nation.
Netanyahu insists that the total defeat of Hamas is in Israel’s strategic interest.
Others, however, say the release of the hostages is the top priority and the prime minister’s main motivation is to prevent the collapse of his government.
Those claims exemplify a broader dispute over Netanyahu, whose decision in 2020 to remain in politics despite being on trial for corruption has worsened deep divisions in Israeli society and led to years of political instability.
The country’s military leaders believe a ceasefire could be the quickest way to free some 120 Israelis, some alive and some dead, who remain in Gaza.
Recent polls suggest that most Israelis believe the return of the hostages is a higher priority than continuing to fight Hamas.
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