Israeli officials have sent a message to Hamas that if the group doesn’t accept the latest ceasefire proposal, Israel will begin annexing parts of Gaza, The Times of Israel reported Wednesday, citing other reports in Israeli media.
According to Israel’s Channel 12, Israel gave mediators its response to Hamas’s latest proposal on Tuesday night and isn’t expecting Hamas to accept the offer. Israel is threatening that if Hamas doesn’t agree to its terms, it will start annexing the so-called “buffer zone” Israel established along the Israel-Gaza border that cuts into Gaza’s territory.
Haaretz reported earlier this week that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had proposed the idea of annexing Gaza to appease Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who is threatening to quit the government over the small amount of aid Israel has allowed into Gaza in recent days due to the international outrage over Israel’s starvation of Palestinians.
Another report published by Haaretz on Wednesday downplayed the threat of annexation, suggesting that it was only a negotiating tactic. “It’s not something that’s about to happen,” an unnamed Israeli minister told the outlet.
Haaretz’s initial report said the idea of annexation was supported by the Trump administration. However, the Channel 12 report said that there is “no appetite” within the White House to green light the Israeli annexation of parts of Gaza.
Amid the reports of Israel’s potential plans to start annexing Gaza, US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff is heading to the region. According to Axios, he is traveling to Israel to discuss the ceasefire talks and the humanitarian situation inside Gaza, as Palestinians have begun starving to death every day due to the US and Israeli-backed siege on the territory.
Witkoff blamed Hamas for the latest breakdown in talks, though there’s no sign the US was putting any pressure on Israel to make concessions to reach a deal. Hamas’s long-standing offer has been that it’s willing to release all the remaining Israeli captives in exchange for a permanent ceasefire, but Israel has refused those terms.
Instead of a permanent deal, the two sides have been discussing a 60-day truce, and Hamas has been looking for stronger guarantees to the US that the temporary ceasefire would lead to a permanent one. According to media reports, the other main impasses have been over Israel’s refusal to pull its troops out of certain areas and the number of Palestinian prisoners Israel would release.
