Netanyahu Rejects Pressure To Reach Ceasefire Deal, Reaffirms Stance on Philadelphia Corridor

Biden was asked if Netanyahu was doing enough to reach a deal with Hamas and said, 'no'

On Monday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected the growing pressure for him to reach a hostage deal with Hamas, saying he won’t let anyone “preach” to him.

The Israeli leader also reiterated his demand that Israel must maintain control of the Gaza-Egypt border, known as the Philadelphi Corridor, as part of any hostage deal. His insistence on keeping the corridor has been the main obstacle to reaching an agreement.

“The axis of evil needs the Philadelphi corridor, and for that reason we must control the Philadelphi corridor,” Netanyahu said at a press conference. “Hamas insists for that reason that we not be there, and for that reason, I insist that we be there.”

Tens of thousands of Israelis have been protesting for a deal since the Israeli military recovered the bodies of six Israeli hostages in Gaza. The Israeli military said that they were shot by Hamas shortly before they were discovered.

Hamas said Monday that it issued new guidelines for its guards on how to “deal with” Israeli captives if Israeli forces are approaching where they’re being held, signaling more hostages may be killed as long as there is no ceasefire agreement.

“It was made clear that Netanyahu’s insistence on freeing the prisoners through military pressure, rather than negotiating a deal, could result in their (captives) return to their families in coffins, leaving the families to choose between receiving them dead or alive,” a Hamas spokesman said.

Also on Monday, President Biden was asked if he thought Netanyahu was doing enough to reach a hostage deal and replied, “No.” It was the first time during the negotiations that the president put the blame for the lack of an agreement on the Israeli side instead of exclusively blaming Hamas.

Biden also said the US was getting “very close” to putting a final ceasefire proposal on the table, signaling this round of talks could be the last if no deal is reached. The US’s latest proposal included demands from Netanyahu, and mediating officials said the US’s deference toward Israeli conditions put the negotiations at an impasse.

Author: Dave DeCamp

Dave DeCamp is the news editor of Antiwar.com, follow him on Twitter @decampdave.