A senior Israeli official said on Wednesday that “Prime Minister Netanyahu and Israel continue to make clear in talks in Doha that only the ‘Witkoff framework’ is a viable basis for a deal,” The Jerusalem Post has learned.
Hamas rejected Witkoff’s framework last month, backing Israel’s proposal to release 10 hostages in exchange for 45 days. Israeli hostages can be released if the Israeli government agrees to end the war, fully withdraw from Gaza, and allow for the reconstruction of Gaza.
“We will not accept partial deals that serve [Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu’s political agenda,” Hamas negotiating team head Khalil al-Hayya said in a statement.
The terror group claimed its rejection of the deal is based on the continuation of the war.
Al-Hayya added that Hamas is ready to immediately negotiate a deal to swap all the hostages with an agreed number of Palestinians who are imprisoned in Israel.
Netanyahu, Witkoff, Huckabee meet, discuss hostage deal, ceasefire
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with US special envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff and the US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee on Monday.
Netanyahu is set to meet with ministers and senior Israeli defense leaders to brief them on his meeting with Witkoff, Israeli officials told The Jerusalem Post.
The three discussed the latest efforts to implement Witkoff’s outline for the release of Israeli-American hostage Edan Alexander ahead of a widened expansion of military operations in Gaza, a statement from the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) noted.
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