JNS
"There's a story, a narrative out there that there's a deal out there," the prime minister said. "Hamas has consistently said no to every one of them."
Talks with Hamas on a renewed deal to exchange hostages for terrorists are faltering due to the Islamist group's rejectionism, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reiterated in an interview on Thursday morning.
Commenting in an interview with Fox News' "Fox & Friends" on reported claims by a senior U.S. official that an agreement with Hamas is close, Netanyahu said that these claims were "exactly inaccurate.
"There's a story, a narrative out there that there's a deal out there," the premier said. "In fact, while we agreed in May, in July and in August to a deal, an American proposal, Hamas has consistently said no to every one of them.
"They don't agree to anything. Not to the Philadelphi Corridor [on Gaza's border with Egypt], not to the keys of exchanging hostages for jailed terrorists, not to anything," Netanyahu said.
According to the premier, Hamas only wants Israel Defense Forces troops to withdraw "so they can retake Gaza and do as they vowed to do"—the Oct. 7 massacre—"again the butchering, again and again and again."
Netanyahu also denied accusations that he is prolonging the war against Hamas for political gain, telling Fox, "I am not interested in my political future. I'm interested in my country's future
"This war would be over yesterday if Hamas laid down its arms, released all the hostages," the premier stated. "The obstacle to the end of this war is Hamas; the obstacle to the release of hostages is Hamas."
One hundred and one hostages—alive and dead—are still held captive in Gaza after more than 300 days. Off-and-on talks have continued for months with the United States, Egypt and Qatar acting as mediators.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has confirmed that Jerusalem accepted President Joe Biden's May 31 ceasefire-for-hostages outline, as well as last month's so-called "bridging proposal" presented by the United States.
"In a very constructive meeting with Prime Minister Netanyahu today, he confirmed to me that Israel accepts the bridging proposal, that he supports it," the diplomat told reporters after meetings in Jerusalem on Aug. 19, adding that "it's now incumbent on Hamas to do the same."
Hamas formally rejected the bridging proposal on Aug. 18, accusing Netanyahu of "setting new conditions and demands with the aim of thwarting the mediators' efforts and prolonging the war.
U.S. officials told The Wall Street Journal on Wednesday that a new draft deal is in the works, but that Hamas was still the least willing to say yes.
Negotiators confirmed to the newspaper that the agreement that is currently being offered gives Hamas most of what it wanted, with the Israeli government making many concessions to reach a bargain.
