Netanyahu, accused of ‘abandoning’ hostages, says cease-fire deal may not happen

Netanyahu, accused of ‘abandoning’ hostages, says cease-fire deal may not happen Show Caption Hide Caption Blinken says ceasefire talks are at a ‘decisive moment’ Secretary of State Antony Blinken will continue ceasefire talks in Cairo after meeting in Doha last week. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told hostage families Tuesday that a cease-fire deal may not be reached and that the Israeli military will not relinquish control of the Gazan-Egyptian border, a key demand of the Hamas militant group. “There is no hope and no heroism in a ‘firm’ stand that will result in the continued death of all the abductees,” the group said in a social media post. After Netanyahu announced Monday that Israel could accept the plan in principle, Hamas released a statement dismissing the plan as little more than a list of Israel’s demands. Hours later, President Joe Biden accused Hamas of “backing away” from a deal. Hamas expressed “great astonishment and disapproval” for Biden’s claim, blaming the “complete American bias toward the Zionist occupation and the full partnership in the aggression and war of genocide against defenseless civilians in the Gaza Strip.” ∎ Tehran supports any move to end the war in Gaza and help its people but “does not consider the U.S. actions sincere,” Iran’s Revolutionary Guards spokesperson Alimohammad Naini said. Gaza’s Government Media Office condemned Israeli airstrikes on a school and two other locations within several hours Tuesday that it said killed at least 25 Palestinians. “We hold the Israeli occupation and the American administration fully responsible for the catastrophic and dangerous consequences of these ongoing massacres,” the media office said in a statement. Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid led a chorus of opposition to Netanyahu, accusing him of trying to derail the cease-fire talks. Others involved in the talks also complained, telling Israel’s Kan public broadcaster they believe Netanyahu intentionally derailed the negotiations by telling some hostage families that Israel would not relinquish control of the Gaza-Egypt border under any circumstances. Israel’s chief military spokesman, Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, said he remained determined to bring home all the hostages, from those alive to get medical treatment and counseling to those dead to bury. When asked whether the six bodies of hostages recently recovered were victims of friendly fire, he said army forces would investigate the precise circumstances of their deaths. A former Israeli Intelligence official and regional analyst says Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar’s rejection of the U.S. cease-fire proposal provides Netanyahu with “maneuvering space” while crippling Iran’s ability to retaliate against Israel. Avi Melamed, author of “Inside The Middle East: Entering A New Era,” told USA TODAY the Biden administration blaming Hamas for the failure to consummate a cease-fire deal clears the way for continued U.S. military aid. “Unless Sinwar compromises, it’s unlikely a deal is immediately within reach,” and Israel will continue its unrelenting offensive, Melamed said. Secretary of State Antony Blinken met Tuesday with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, thanking him for his role in trying to mediate a cease-fire. Blinken stressed the importance of working together to prevent regional escalation of violence, the State Department said in a statement. Israel retrieved the bodies of six hostages from the Gaza Strip, the military said Tuesday. Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said the bodies of Yagev Buchshtab, Alexander Dancyg, Abraham Munder, Yoram Metzger, Nadav Popplewell and Chaim Peri were recovered by Israeli soldiers from tunnels under the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis. Zahiro Shahar Mor, the nephew of Munder, said Israeli authorities had “torpedoed” proposals that could have brought the hostages safely home. Israeli officials say 109 hostages are believed to be held in Gaza, although many of them are thought to be dead. Threatening words: Hamas, Iran vow to respond to killing of Ismail Haniyeh There could be a long wait for Iranian retaliation against Israel for killing Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran three weeks ago, said Naini, the Revolutionary Guards spokesperson. Hamas and Iran immediately blamed Israel, which has pledged to take down Hamas leaders responsible for the Oct. 7 attack that left almost 1,200 people dead and about 250 taken hostage. – This Summarize was created by Neural News AI (V1). Source: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/israel-hamas/2024/08/20/israel-hamas-ceasefire-updates/74870174007/