Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that Israel will attempt to reach an agreement for the release of 100 hostages in exchange for a six-week cessation of hostilities, noting that Hamas’s “bizarre” demands make the deal more difficult.
During an interview with CNN, Netanyahu elaborated, “Time will tell, but Hamas’s bizarre demands make the deal more difficult. However, we will continue to try because we want the hostages to return.” He mentioned that the deal being worked on involves the release of 100 hostages in return for a six-week halt in fighting.
Regarding demands for early elections in Israel, Netanyahu said, “Whether to hold elections in Israel or not is a decision for the government to make on its own.”
He deemed it “inappropriate to attempt to replace the elected leadership,” stating, “If we were to hold elections now, before achieving victory in the war, we would have at least six months of national paralysis.” He added, “The decision is up to the Israelis, and it decides to hold elections after the war ends.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu criticized comments made by U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer on Sunday, in which Schumer urged for elections in Israel, as utterly inappropriate. Schumer, the highest-ranking Jewish American official and a staunch supporter of Israel, called on Tel Aviv to conduct new elections, stating that Netanyahu “has lost his way.”
President Biden expressed his support for what he termed “Schumer’s excellent speech.”
The United States also expressed its concerns about the planned Israeli attack on the city of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, home to approximately 1.4 million displaced Palestinians, and supported a new round of talks aimed at ensuring a ceasefire in exchange for the return of Israeli hostages.
The Israeli delegation is not expected to depart for those talks in Qatar until after the security cabinet and war council meetings on Sunday evening, which will provide them with guidelines for the negotiations.
Despite the talks, Netanyahu clarified on Sunday that he has no plans to back down from the fighting that has already claimed the lives of more than 31,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.
