Israel rejects new US-backed ceasefire deal for Gaza
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Jerusalem: Israel has rejected a new ceasefire proposal presented by United States mediators, aimed at halting the ongoing military offensive in Gaza and securing the release of 10 more hostages, according to a report by Israel’s state-owned Kan TV on Monday.
A senior Israeli official involved in the negotiations told Kan TV that the proposal, delivered overnight, included a 70-day ceasefire, the release of five living and five deceased hostages, increased humanitarian aid to Gaza, and the initiation of talks toward a permanent ceasefire. However, the official said Israel dismissed the offer, calling it a “surrender to Hamas.”
Israel continues to stand by the Witkoff framework, a plan put forward by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in early March. This plan proposes a 50-day truce and the release of additional Israeli hostages, with a commitment to begin discussions on a longer-term ceasefire. Notably, the Witkoff framework does not include the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza or the release of Palestinian prisoners — both of which are key demands from Hamas.
Efforts to reach a new ceasefire have faltered. Last Thursday, another round of indirect negotiations between Israel and Hamas concluded without progress after Netanyahu recalled the Israeli delegation, Xinhua news agency reported. This follows Israel’s decision in March to abandon a previously established three-phase ceasefire agreement. That deal had resulted in a two-month truce and the release of 33 Israeli hostages, but Israel declined to enter the second phase and resumed its military campaign in Gaza.
Meanwhile, international calls for humanitarian relief in the conflict-ridden Gaza Strip have intensified. Last week, the head of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), Philip Lazzarini, urged for a “meaningful and uninterrupted” flow of aid into Gaza.
Israel has repeatedly alleged that Hamas diverts international aid with tacit approval from the UN agency, a claim the United Nations has strongly denied.
With IANS inputs