Israel’s opposition leaders accuse Netanyahu of sabotaging Gaza cease-fire talks
Political opponents of Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused him of sabotaging negotiations to reach a captive-prisoner exchange deal with Palestinian group Hamas.
Opposition leader Yair Lapid, a former prime minister and leader of the Yesh Atid party, said the Netanyahu’s cabinet has imposed new conditions.
“We have nothing left to achieve in Gaza; we need to start preparing for the day after the war and bring back 100 hostages,” he told the public broadcaster Kan.
“Once the war ends, we can return to Gaza and do what we need to do,” he said. “Now, we need to stop the war and finalize a deal to bring all the hostages back.”
Lapid said Netanyahu, who is wanted by the International Criminal Court for alleged war crimes in Gaza, does not want to end the war, fearing that it would lead to his cabinet’s collapse.
Avigdor Lieberman, a former defense minister and leader of the Yisrael Beiteinu party, also criticized Netanyahu. He told the Maariv newspaper that “the deal can be done”.
Cease-fire talks
Talks to reach a Gaza cease-fire and captive release deal between Israel and Hamas are 90% complete, but key issues remain that need to be bridged, a senior Palestinian official involved in the talks told the BBC.
One of the main sticking points is the continued Israeli military presence in the Philadelphi corridor, a strategically important strip of land in southern Gaza along the border with Egypt.
Despite efforts by international mediators, Israel continues its deadly attacks on the besieged territory.
Gaza Health Ministry said on Sunday that Israeli attacks killed at least 32 Palestinians and wounded 54 others across the Gaza Strip in 24 hours. More than 45,000 Palestinians – mostly women and children – have been killed in the Israeli strikes on Gaza.
‘Cruelty’ of Israeli attacks
For the second time in as many days, Pope Francis denounced the “cruelty” of the Israeli attacks on Gaza.
“And with pain I think of Gaza, of so much cruelty, of the children being machine-gunned, of the bombings of schools and hospitals. What cruelty,” he said after his weekly Angelus prayer.
On Saturday, the pope had referenced the bombardment of children and said: “This is cruelty. This is not war. I wanted to say this because it touches the heart.”