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SvennoJ on 06 May 2024
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‘A huge decision for Israel’

Former Israeli diplomat Alon Liel has spoken to Al Jazeera about the situation Israel’s government and Netanyahu are finding themselves in after Hamas’s announcement.

“There is strong pressure from inside Israel on the government to go to Rafah, so I think the Israeli government faces a dilemma to go with the world or to go with the Israelis, to keep the government or to keep our international contacts,” he said.

“It’s a huge decision for Israel, really huge,” Liel added, noting that even if there is a deal, many people in Israel “will be frightened that we lost the war or that Hamas stays in Gaza”.

He went on to say: “If he [Netanyahu] accepts a deal, it might be the end of his political career. But then if he doesn’t accept a deal, we will have a series of international decisions against us in international courts, in the UN, by different governments, sanctions, recognition of Palestine.

“So I see it as a historic decision for Netanyahu.”


Continue on with ‘complete defeat’ of Hamas: Israeli minister

Israel’s far-right national security minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, has responded to Hamas’s agreement to a truce proposal. He says the group is playing “games” that have only “one answer, an immediate order to occupy Rafah!”

“Increasing military pressure, and continuing the complete defeat of Hamas, until its complete defeat,” he added in a social media post.

Ben-Gvir has been among the members of the Israeli government urging Netanyahu to continue fighting in Gaza until Hamas is defeated.


US ‘reviewing’ Hamas’s response to ceasefire proposal

State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller says Washington will “withhold judgement” on Hamas’s response to the ceasefire proposal until it has time to fully review it.

“I can confirm that Hamas has issued a response. We are reviewing that response now and discussing it with our partners in the region,” he said.

Miller declined to say whether Hamas agreed to a US-approved offer or to a different version of the proposal. “As you know, [CIA] Director Burns is in the region working on this in real time. We will be discussing this response with our partners over the coming hours,” he continued.