LONDON: Israel has been accused of trying to sabotage a US-backed ceasefire proposal by adding new conditions after initially accepting the plan, Israeli news outlets reported on Sunday.
Recent days had seen an increase in optimism for a Gaza ceasefire, with reports indicating that Hamas had provisionally approved a new phased deal proposal.
Egyptian officials and Hamas representatives noted that the Palestinian militant group conceded a key demand for Israel to commit to a permanent end to the war before any cessation of hostilities, Reuters and the Associated Press reported.
Two Hamas officials told Reuters they were now waiting for Israel’s response.
However, David Barnea, the chief of the Mossad foreign intelligence service, who was sent over the weekend to Qatar where talks are being held, reportedly presented mediators with a list of new conditions.
Haaretz, citing a source familiar with the matter, reported that these new Israeli demands could delay negotiations by “at least three weeks” and it was uncertain if Hamas would agree to them.
“Hamas has already agreed to the latest position presented by Israel,” the source told Haaretz. “But in Friday’s meeting, Israel presented some new points it demands that Hamas accept.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is under fire from opposition parties, the media, and families of Israeli hostages, who accuse him of sabotaging efforts to reach a ceasefire and secure the hostages’ release for his political gain.
As a potential agreement nears, Netanyahu has shown a pattern of pulling back from hostage negotiations. In recent months, he has been accused of hindering progress toward ending the war through public statements, covert communications, or by restricting the negotiating team’s authority.
Over 38,000 Palestinians, the majority of whom are women and children, have been killed in Gaza, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, as the war marks its ninth month.
