Hamas Blows Up Hostage/Ceasefire Talks With New Demands, NYT and Others Report
WaPo: Biden admin ‘considering’ the blocking of weapons exports if Israel attacks terrorist stronghold of Rafah.
The Biden admiration’s hopes of a Gaza ceasefire before the beginning of Ramadan this weekend appear to have been dashed as terrorist group Hamas continues to make new demands, The New York Times reported Wednesday.
The NYT article discloses that “in recent days, Hamas has backed away from the proposed agreement and made demands that Israel refuses to meet.” The terror group’s demands include freeing more terrorists from Israeli prisons, a permanent truce, and the complete withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza.
Jerusalem had agreed to a temporary ceasefire and the release of hundreds of convicted terrorists in exchange for captive Israeli women, elderly, and children, but Hamas issued fresh demands, Israeli media reports suggest. “Israeli officials reportedly believed the first phase was agreed upon, for a temporary ceasefire along with the return of 40 hostages for the release of hundreds of Palestinian security prisoners, but the terrorist organization Hamas suddenly increased its demands,” the Israeli TV channel i24NEWS reported.
Hamas’s demands keep rising while the terrorist group refuses to provide the names of the hostages who are still alive after five months of captivity. Estimated 134 Israeli hostages, including women and children, are believed to be in Gaza, many of them being subjected to repeated rape and torture, a recently released United Nations report shows.
The New York Times reported:
Talks between Israel and Hamas over the release of dozens of Israeli hostages held in Gaza have stalled, dimming hopes that a deal could be reached before Ramadan begins in a few days, according to several people briefed on the conversations.
Negotiators had been discussing a proposal for an initial six-week cease-fire during which Hamas would release about 40 people — including women, elderly and ill hostages, and five female Israeli soldiers — for a substantial number of Palestinian prisoners.
The discussions included terms for releasing at least 15 prisoners convicted of serious acts of terrorism who would be exchanged for the female soldiers. The terms also said Israel would release hundreds of other detainees or prisoners, at an average of 10 Palestinians for every Israeli civilian freed, officials said.
American officials had said that they hoped to reach an agreement to release some hostages and put in place a temporary pause in fighting before Ramadan, which is expected to start this Sunday. President Biden expressed confidence last week that a deal was within reach.
But in recent days, Hamas has backed away from the proposed agreement and made demands that Israel refuses to meet, according to officials briefed on the talks. The negotiations had been taking place in Doha, Qatar, before they moved to Cairo in recent days. (…)
One official in the region said the main point of difference is the same one that has hovered over the talks for weeks: Hamas wants Israel to commit now to a permanent cease-fire during or after three phases of hostage releases, while Israel refuses to do so. Israel wants to focus on an agreement for the terms of the first phase only, a position the United States supports. Until now, the discussions around the first phase have centered on the potential release of those 40 people, out of about 100 remaining hostages.
The Israeli delegation has not attended the sessions in Cairo because of Hamas’s new demands. Israeli officials said they believed a broad consensus for the first phase of the agreement had been reached, only to have Hamas renew its push for broader demands.
Besides the permanent cease-fire, Hamas is also insisting on a withdrawal of Israeli troops from northern Gaza after the third phase of the hostage releases and greater aid into Gaza, with a guarantee that half go to northern Gaza, the official in the region said. These demands are ones that can be worked out between the Israeli government and Hamas, officials said. (…)
American officials continue to push for a deal. On Tuesday, Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken met in Washington with Benny Gantz, a member of the Israeli war cabinet who might eventually challenge Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for his office. (…)
People familiar with the negotiations believe Hamas has issued new demands for a variety of reasons.
On Feb. 28, Ismail Haniyeh, a Hamas political leader based in Qatar, called publicly for a march during Ramadan in Jerusalem at the Al Aqsa Mosque, known to Jews as the Temple Mount. Some Israeli officials believe Hamas’s military wing wants those protests to turn violent. Hamas may want to avoid a cease-fire deal for fear of being accused of breaking it if the protests become violent.
Hamas, according to people briefed on the talks, believes an action at the mosque will show its strength despite the monthslong Israeli military campaign in Gaza and could increase pressure on Mr. Netanyahu to end the fighting.
https://twitter.com/IsraelinGeneva/status/1765660361951223930
WaPo: Biden admin ‘considering’ the blocking of weapons exports if Israel attacks terrorist stronghold of Rafah
With Hamas continuing to stall hostage negotiations, the Biden White House is reportedly considering a halt on weapons exports if Israel went ahead with the plans of freeing the captives by launching a military operation on the last remaining terrorist stronghold of Rafah.
“The Biden administration, worried about a new humanitarian catastrophe, appears to be considering ways to prevent Israel from using U.S. weapons if it attacks the densely populated area around the city of Rafah,” The Washington Post reported Wednesday.
Israeli government officials have vowed to capture Rafah if Hamas refuses to free the hostages by Ramadan, set to start on March 10. “The world must know, and Hamas leaders must know — if by Ramadan our hostages are not home, the fighting will continue everywhere, to include the Rafah area,” Israel’s war-time cabinet minister Benny Gantz warned mid- February.
They will be freed by force alone. https://t.co/knrad64mcb
— Caroline Glick (@CarolineGlick) March 7, 2024
Hamas, instead, has threatened Israel with more terrorist attacks during Ramadan. The terrorist group threatened to “escalate the confrontation” if Israel restricted the entry of military-age Palestinian men to the Temple Mount during the month of fasting.
“Let our enemy know that souls are boiling… [our] anger is imminent… and an explosion is coming in response to any restrictions on the entry of Muslims to Al-Aqsa Mosque during the month of Ramadan,” Hamas said in a statement released February 24.
DONATE
Donations tax deductible
to the full extent allowed by law.
Comments
Hamas is a commercial organization whose goal is street cred as badasses deserving of terrorist state support. Hamas has competitors for that largess.
Hamas as an organization, increases its power and financial gain by exploiting the suffering of others. Always and in all cases, they work to increase the suffering of others.
F*** Ramadan — as if the occurrence of that event should somehow be a consideration for any morally upright and rational person, in judging Israel’s righteous and justified reprisal to the genocidal murders, rapes, sadistic atrocities and kidnapping of its citizens.
And, f*** vile Biden and the Dhimmi-crats, for their evil appeasement towards, and, enabling of, Jew-hating, genocidal Muslim supremacists, terrorists and Islamofascists, in Gaza, and, in the U.S.
Looks like Hamas subscribes to the motto: “never miss a chance to miss a chance.” I certainly hope that the Israelis have a plan to hunt down and execute each terrorist that they may release.
In any event, good for Israel–paying ransom never works. Buying off Hamas will only encourage more hostage taking and subsidize the murder of more innocents. Too bad Biden isn’t smart enough to understand this.
Quisling Joe is new interested in bribes from Muslim countries the dealing justice to Hamas.
Hamas is walking away from the negotiating table. So, how does Biden respond? By leaking to the press this morning that in tonight’s SotU, he’s going to announce he’s ordering the US Navy to immediately commence the construction of a peer in Gaza to be able to accommodate ‘aid’ shipments from Cyprus and Turkey (and likely other places). This will be an absolute disaster for Israel and will wholly undermine IDF’s efforts to disarm Hamas. It’s a day that ends in Y, so of course it’s a day when Biden commits treason…again.
Chances are 50/50 that Biden will melt down tonight during the SOTU. He will be hyped up on so many meds to, one would almost expect to see smoke coming out of his ears as the fuses blow and turns into a blithering idiot.
We can only hope.
I’m really hoping he goes through every single one of his weird little ‘things’: the loud whisper, the angry and weird name-calling, the Dark Brandon, the mumbling, the shuffling around lost, the shaking hands with ghosts…. And hopefully, sniffing some woman’s hair.
You left out the red background, lighting, the soldiers, standing at attention, and talk about corn pop.
From your keyboard to G-d’s ear. I sincerely hope he strokes out.
One problem I see, is they will have him on some sort of a tape delay, and if he does go into meltdown they will somehow manage to blend in some other footage that’s already recorded and then the speech will end with announcements.
Merely standard operating procedure, from the vile and evil Dhimmi-crats. One could only be surprised if the Dhimmi-crats were not gleefully granting undeserved deference, sustenance and succor to the goose-stepping, Islamofascist, Jew-hating Fakestinians, and, enabling their Islamic and genocidal “holy war.”
The terrorist group threatened to “escalate the confrontation”
You mean, MORE than gang-r*ping women and torturing and killing babies? You going to add harsher language or something?
Honestly, I want Hamas utterly wiped from Gaza just so we don’t have to listen to this sort of bully bluster any more. I really hate trash talk from nasty, evil people.
If Israel does that , swapping a dozen terrorists for a hostage the Hamas Terrorists will do it again and again and again.
kill every one of those goat f*ckers
every. single. one.
no mercy … salt the earth with their blood. the hostages are dead or sold.
turn all of Gaza into a grave yard ..
they voted for this … let them eat it.
Now tell us what you really think! 😏
lol ….. sometimes I hide my feelings… 😀
made me smile … thanks …
but I mean it … kill em … kill em all
( I liked the line. … salt the earth with their blood ) I gotta remember that one …
They didn’t just vote for it… they cheered it on and celebrated it in the streets and got in on it… beating, kicking and stomping on dead and alive Israeli hostages and victims. And they are helping Hamas by holding and abusing and torturing hostages in their homes…. Yah I really don’t want to hear about Palestinian victimhood ever again
The Israelis should level Rafah now-Hamas is not negotiating in good faith and the ,likelihood of the hostages being alive or being released clearly is diminshing
Killing terrorists is a humanitarian catastrophe?
Israel just needs to obliterate Hamas. There is no negotiating with these people. Stop the pretense.
Go IDF! KILL. THEM. ALL.
Estimated 134 hostages still being held by Hamas.
QUESTION: do we have proof of life on how many of them, if any, are still alive? Hamas is always backing away from hostage releases – perhaps they no longer have hostages to release?