A significant difference exists between the agreement Hamas has accepted and the conditions outlined by the Israeli government.
The question remains whether Benjamin Netanyahu is willing to negotiate.
Egyptian and Qatari mediators have been negotiating with Hamas in their latest attempt to secure a ceasefire. According to senior diplomats, Hamas has agreed to a deal whereby half of the hostages held in Gaza would be freed in exchange for Israel releasing certain Palestinian prisoners.
Netanyahu has consistently stated that he aims for the release of all hostages at once, Israeli security control over the Gaza Strip, and a government brand new that is neither Hamas nor—significantly—the Palestinian Authority (PA).
On this point, as well as the others, a dispute seems imminent.
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The PA, the governing body of Palestinian-controlled areas of the West Bank, appears to have been more closely involved in the negotiations than Hamas.
The ceasefire proposal suggests that after Hamas’s removal, the PA might oversee a committee controlling Gaza.
For Israel to accept this would require significant political shift—a change of heart not known to be Netanyahu’s specialty.
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Netanyahu’s decision is now between competing interests.
The portion of the Israeli public that recently held a nationwide strike, demanding an end to the war.
And others, including members of his cabinet, who believe Israel should completely subdue, if not entirely occupy, Gaza to ensure its safety or fulfill its historical destiny.
Source: https://news.sky.com/story/is-netanyahu-ready-to-negotiate-13414400
