Amrutha Avasarala, Pune
Benjamin Netanyahu, the Prime Minister of Israel, has rejected a deal presented by Hamas, the armed group of Gaza, to end the war on certain conditions.
The conditions stated that in exchange for the retreating Israel army from Gaza, captives held by Hamas would be released and the war would come to an end. The deal also stated the release of prisoners on Israel’s side. It also demanded the recognition of the armed group’s governance and leadership in the Gaza region.
Netanyahu said, “If we accept this, we won’t be able to guarantee the safety of our citizens. We will not be able to bring evacuees home safely and the next October 7 will only be a matter of time,”
Even earlier in a context, Netanyahu expressed his strong opposition to leaving Gaza for an independent rule by Hamas. He further added that Israel intends to gain full control of the region soon.
Meanwhile in Israel, the public has been demanding and protesting on sunday, to bring back their relatives and friends held captive by the militant group in Gaza. A group of people gathered outside the residence of the Israel leader in Jerusalem and protested. They refused to leave the place and demanded a deal be signed with Hamas to release captives.
There are 136 people held captive in Gaza. The people of Israel who are restless to see their people come back from Gaza shared that they feel unheard and neglected by their government. The public also expressed that if Netanyahu intends to sacrifice the captives, he must be open and honestly share that with the citizens.
Netanyahu is facing domestic pressure to bring back captives yet he has rejected the deal. He shared that signing the deal offered by Hamas would not guarantee any security and safety for its citizens. Furthermore, the rapists and murderers imprisoned by Israel would be let free if the deal is signed.
There have been casualties on both sides since the outbreak of war. Gaza’s health minister released a report mentioning that 25,000 plus lives have been taken, the majority of which consist of women and children. The UN chief, Antonio Guterres, said that Israel’s operations in Gaza have created a mass destruction and this is extremely heartbreaking and unacceptable. Joe Biden, the US President, in conversation with Netanyahu, mentioned calling for a separate state for Palestine and was outright rejected by Netanyahu.