Israeli officials said the cease-fire deal Hamas claims to have accepted from Egypt and Qatar on Monday was not approved by the Jewish state — and that it could be a “deception” by the terrorist organization.
The stakes could hardly be higher at this moment. Israel is preparing to launch an offensive in Rafah, the last stronghold for Hamas — and a city where more than 1 million Palestinians have taken refuge while fleeing war elsewhere in the Gaza Strip.
IDF Spokesperson Rear Admiral. Daniel Hagari said Israel was reviewing Hamas’ response but still preparing for a possible deployment into Rafah, the Jerusalem Post reports.
Following Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh’s announcement that a deal was accepted, Israeli officials told multiple outlets that the deal presented to the terror group was a “softened” version of what was really on the table and is not being taken seriously by Jerusalem.
One official told Reuters that the announcement was a clear ruse by the terror group to create backlash against Israel for refusing a deal, and officials told KANN TV that the announcement of a cease-fire agreement was a “Hamas deception.”
The accusations came as a senior Hamas official told the AFP that the future of the cease-fire depends on Israel’s response.
“After Hamas agreed to the mediators’ proposal for a ceasefire, the ball is now in the court of Israeli occupation, whether it will agree to the ceasefire agreement or obstruct it,” the officials said.
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan also pushed Israel to accept the deal with Hamas during a cabinet meeting on Monday.
“We welcome the statement by Hamas that they accepted the ceasefire with our suggestion. Now, Israel must take the same step,” he said.
The news of Hamas’ acceptance of a cease-fire deal immediately triggered celebrations across Gaza, where Palestinians cheered and chanted “Allahu Akbar” in the streets, Al Jazeera reports.
The deal Hamas said it agreed to includes a six-week cease-fire and the release of more than 30 hostages in Gaza in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners.
It remains unclear if the latest deal included Hamas’ key sticking point in the negotiations that have dragged on for months, with the terror group insisting that a cease-fire will only occur if Israel completely withdraws from Gaza and agrees to end the nearly seven-month-long war.
Israel has repeatedly rejected any cease-fire deal that calls for an end to the war, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu saying that the conflict will only end once Hamas has been eradicated and Gaza proves to no longer be a threat to the Jewish State.
The news comes after cease-fire talks broke down over the weekend following an attack by the terror group on an Israeli military outpost that killed four soldiers.
The news comes after cease-fire talks broke down over the weekend following an attack by the terror group on an Israeli military outpost that killed four soldiers.
Thousands of Palestinians are fleeing parts of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip after Israel announced it planned to begin an assault on Hamas positions there.
Following news of Hama’s reported “trick,” Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir said the Jewish State must move forward with the Rafah invasion.
“There is only one response to Hamas’s tricks and games — an immediate order to conquer Rafah, increase military pressure, and continue to crush Hamas until it is utterly defeated,” Ben-Gvir said, according to The Times of Israel.
President Biden has repeatedly warned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu not to go ahead with the Rafah offensive unless the IDF could secure the safety of the civilians.
Biden had “reiterated his clear position on Rafah” during a call with Netanyahu on Monday morning, according to a White House statement.
During the call, Netanyahu also agreed to keep the Kerem Shalom crossing open to allow humanitarian aid to go through after closing the passage over the weekend following Hamas’ attack.
With Post wires
