Members of Israel's negotiating team suspect that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is deliberately undermining the chances of reaching a deal with Hamas, according to a report by Israel's public broadcaster Kan on Tuesday, Aug. 20.
A source cited by Kan suggested that Netanyahu's recent comments about maintaining Israeli control over the Gaza-Egypt border, known as the Philadelphi Corridor and the Netzarim Corridor, are intended to derail the negotiations.
"Netanyahu’s statement is meant to sabotage the talks," the source said. "He is aware that we are in a critical phase of discussing solutions for the Philadelphia and Netzarim Corridors ahead of the upcoming summit." (Related: Netanyahu expected to delay Gaza ceasefire deal until after the U.S. presidential election.)
The source further claimed that Netanyahu's statements contradict the agreements made with mediators and are detrimental to the progress of the negotiations.
A U.S. official traveling with Secretary of State Antony Blinken also expressed concerns about Netanyahu's remarks, noting that such "maximalist statements" are unhelpful in securing a ceasefire deal.
"These comments are not constructive and make it harder to finalize the agreement," the official told the Times of Israel.
While Blinken has not publicly criticized Netanyahu, he emphasized that it is up to Hamas to agree to the deal.
"In a productive meeting with Prime Minister Netanyahu, he confirmed Israel’s support for the bridging proposal," Blinken said on Monday, Aug. 19. This proposal, which incorporates some of Netanyahu’s demands, does not include a permanent ceasefire. "The next crucial step is for Hamas to agree," Blinken added.
Israeli officials revealed to Axios that Netanyahu might have endorsed the U.S. proposal, knowing that Hamas would likely reject it. Hamas has called for the implementation of the ceasefire proposal put forth by President Biden in May.
On Tuesday, Hamas criticized the new proposal, calling it a "reversal" of the previous U.S.-backed plan and accusing the U.S. of yielding to Netanyahu’s "new conditions and criminal plans" regarding the Gaza Strip.
Daughter of dead Israeli hostage slams Netanyahu's handling of negotiations
Meanwhile, Inbal Albini Peri, daughter of one of the six Israeli hostages whose bodies were returned from Gaza by Israel’s military on Tuesday, has accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of prioritizing "political interests" over a ceasefire and hostage release agreement.
Speaking to BBC Radio 4's "Today" program, Peri criticized Netanyahu's handling of the negotiations, claiming her 80-year-old father, Chaim and his companions should have been among the first to be freed under any agreement with Hamas.
"They should have come back alive," she said. "I don't believe a word he is saying. I want him to apologize to my family and the other families."
Peri did not clarify her use of "political priorities," but her comments reflect growing frustration.
Netanyahu has maintained that he is doing everything possible to secure the release of all hostages taken during Hamas' October 7 attack. However, Peri expressed doubts about the prime minister's sincerity and effectiveness.
Following the October attack, which resulted in approximately 1,200 deaths and 251 hostages taken, Israel launched a military campaign in Gaza. Over 40,000 people have since died in Gaza, according to the territory's Hamas-run health ministry.
A November agreement saw Hamas release 105 hostages in exchange for a ceasefire and the release of 240 Palestinian prisoners. Israel said 105 hostages remain captive, 34 of whom are presumed dead.
Peri's father was abducted after leaving a safe room to protect his wife. In December, Hamas' military wing released a video showing her father and other elderly hostages. In June, the Israeli military confirmed that her father and others had been killed.
On Tuesday morning, Israeli troops recovered the bodies of her father and five other hostages from underground tunnels in Khan Younis. Peri described this as a small closure for her family, though she lamented the loss of life.
"It only depended on our government and the mental state of our prime minister, who had different priorities. We should have been negotiating instead of fighting," she said.
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