The Hamas terrorist organization claimed on Sunday that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is opposed to the ceasefire and hostage release deal which was put forward by US President Joe Biden. The claims followed Netanyahu’s comments in an interview with Channel 14 , in which he said that he is prepared to advance such a deal, but not at the cost of stopping the war. “I am not ready to stop the war and leave Hamas intact. I'm willing to make a partial deal, it's no secret, that will bring some of the people back to us. But we are committed to continuing the war after the ceasefire to complete the goal of eliminating Hamas. I'm not ready to give up on that," the Prime Minister said. Hamas claimed after the interview that Netanyahu's position regarding his desire for a partial agreement, in which only some of the hostages will be released, shows that he opposes the UN Security Council resolution and President Biden's speech. The group further claimed that his position also contradicts what the Biden administration tried to market, as if Israel agreed to the proposal. The first phase of Biden’s three-phase process, which he outlined in a speech last month, would last for six weeks and would include a full and complete ceasefire, withdrawal of Israeli forces from all populated areas of Gaza, and the release of a number of hostages, including women, the elderly, and the wounded, in exchange for the release of hundreds of Palestinian Arab prisoners. Phase two would see the release of all remaining living hostages, while phase three would encompass "a major reconstruction plan for Gaza," as well as the repatriation of the remains of deceased hostages to their families. Hamas gave its official response to the proposal last week. A senior Israeli official then said Israel had received Hamas’ response and added that the terrorist organization rejected Biden’s proposal. Qatar said this past Friday it was continuing mediation efforts to "bridge the gap" between Israel and Hamas to secure a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of Israeli hostages held there. Related articles: Captivity survivor blasted online after criticizing Netanyahu 'I don't understand why Israel gave up Gaza' 'Egyptian ceasefire proposal is not acceptable' 'We endured hell, every minute is torture for remaining hostages' "We have continued our efforts without interruption over the last few days," Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani was quoted as having told a joint news conference in Madrid with Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares. "There have been several meetings with the Hamas leadership to try to bridge the gap between the two parties and reach an agreement that will lead to a ceasefire and the release of the Israeli hostages" being held in Gaza, he added.
