JERUSALEM: Following Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s unwillingness to give in to pressure, the US has said that it is now time to “finalize” an agreement between Israel and Hamas to end the Gaza War.
According to US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller on Tuesday, Washington would collaborate “over the coming days” with fellow mediators Egypt and Qatar “to push for a final agreement.”
Speaking in response to Netanyahu’s rejection of “concessions” in covert talks with Hamas, he did so in spite of mounting internal and international pressure after Israel’s soldiers freed six slain captives from the war-torn Palestinian region.
“That deal needs to be finalized,” Miller declared.
A slew of “terrorism” and other charges against six Hamas leaders were revealed by the US on Tuesday. The allegations were connected to the organization’s strike on Israel on October 7, which started the Gaza conflict.
Targeted in the February allegations are Ismail Haniyeh, the leader of Hamas, and his predecessor Yahya Sinwar, who was holding peace negotiations when he was assassinated in July in an attack attributed to Israel.
Volker Turk, the UN’s chief human rights officer, demanded a “transparent, unbiased, and independent investigation” into claims that the six prisoners who were found dead in Gaza had been summarily executed.
Netanyahu declared he would “not give in to pressure” in spite of the growing anguish and rage among Israelis, who have taken to the streets to put pressure on the government and voice concern for the captives’ fate.
Philadelphia Corridor
In order to prevent Hamas from re-arming, the Israeli PM stated on Monday that “the achievement of the war’s objectives” necessitates control of the Philadelphi Corridor along the Gaza-Egypt border.
Egypt denied on Tuesday that Hamas was receiving weapons from Egypt across the Gaza Strip, accusing Netanyahu of trying to “distract Israeli public opinion and obstruct reaching a ceasefire deal.”
In a statement released by its foreign ministry, Saudi Arabia supported Cairo and stated that it “strongly condemns and denounces the Israeli statements regarding the Philadelphi Corridor.”
In a conference with negotiators, US President Joe Biden answered “no” when asked if he believed Netanyahu was going far enough to achieve a hostage agreement.
An Israeli military presence on the border has been met with opposition from Egyptian officials, and Hamas has long demanded an end to Israeli activity in Gaza.
Analyst Mairav Zonszein told AFP that Netanyahu “wants to occupy Gaza on some level indefinitely” and was merely “saying it more openly” at this point.
Detained activist
At a rally against Israel’s occupation of the West Bank and the war in Gaza on Wednesday, activist Greta Thunberg was held by Danish police, according to a representative for the event’s organizers.
Later, according to Danish media accounts, Thunberg was freed from custody; the daily Ekstra Bladet published video of her leaving a police station.
A police spokeswoman stated without mentioning specific detainees that six persons had been taken into custody at Copenhagen University after roughly twenty people barricaded the door of a building and three people went inside.
Known for her efforts to stop climate change caused by humans, Swedish-born Thunberg has been supporting the Palestinian cause more and more. In May, she stated that these protests “should be everywhere.”
