Documents Confirm Netanyahu Sabotaged Ceasefire Talks With New Demands

Documents obtained by The New York Times confirmed that Israel added new demands to the ceasefire proposal unveiled by President Biden back in May, an effort by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to sabotage the chances of a deal.

The Times report said that Israeli negotiators believed Netanyahu’s added demands created more obstacles to a deal. This has also been acknowledged by Mossad Director David Barnea, the Israeli official in charge of the peace talks.

The new demands included a screening mechanism for the Israeli military to ensure displaced Palestinians returning to northern Gaza were not armed and indefinite Israeli control of the Gaza-Egypt border, which is not only opposed by Hamas but also by the Egyptian government.

In response to the Times report, Netanyahu acknowledged the documents were authentic but claimed he didn’t add new demands. “The charge that Prime Minister Netanyahu added new conditions to the May 27 proposal is false. Prime Minister Netanyahu’s July 27 letter does not introduce extra conditions and certainly does not contradict or undermine the May 27 proposal,” his office said in a statement.

Concerning the return of Palestinians to northern Gaza, Netanyahu’s office said the proposal made in May states only “unarmed civilians will be permitted” to cross into northern Gaza. The May proposal does say that displaced Palestinians returning to their homes should not be carrying arms, but it also says the entire population of Gaza will have “freedom of movement” inside the Strip.

Netanyahu’s statement did not even address the condition for Israel to maintain control of the Gaza-Egypt border, known as the Philadelphi corridor, which is considered the most contentious demand. Axios reported in July that Netanyahu made the demand after there was a breakthrough in the negotiations concerning the issue of the Gaza-Egypt border.

Israel was demanding weapons smuggling through the Philadelphi Corridor be prevented, and Egypt had agreed to build an “underground wall” on the border, which would be funded by the US. “We will not allow the smuggling of weapons to Hamas from Egypt, first and foremost through Israeli control of the Philadelphi Corridor and the Rafah Crossing,” Netanyahu said after those concessions were made.

Netanyahu’s office also said that it was Hamas that added new conditions to the May proposal. “In fact, Hamas is the one that demanded 29 changes to the May 27 proposal, something the Prime Minister refused to do,” the office said.

Hamas did ask for an upfront Israeli commitment to a permanent ceasefire in Gaza and Israeli withdrawal, which came in response to Netanyahu stating repeatedly that he wouldn’t end the genocidal war as part of any hostage deal. But Hamas eventually conceded and agreed to the original language, and that’s when Netanyahu issued his new demands.

Hamas is now asking for mediators to implement the proposal unveiled by President Biden, but Israeli officials believe Netanyahu’s demands make the chances of a deal unlikely.