Israel: We Will Not Succumb to Hamas' "Imaginary" Demands in Ceasefire Talks

Israel accused the Hamas movement today, Tuesday, of presenting "imaginary" demands in indirect negotiations regarding a ceasefire in Gaza. In a statement from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office, it was stated that "these demands indicate that the movement is not interested in reaching an agreement," noting that "Hamas' demands in the negotiations regarding the hostages it holds show that it is uninterested in coming to an accord." The statement added that Hamas "rejected every American settlement proposal and repeated its extremist demands for an immediate end to the war, a complete withdrawal of the Israeli army from the Gaza Strip, and the maintenance of Hamas' rule as it is, allowing it to commit atrocities like those on October 7 repeatedly, as it promised." The statement concluded that "Israel will not succumb to Hamas' imaginary demands and will continue to work to achieve the complete objectives of the war, which are to secure the release of all hostages, to destroy Hamas' military and governmental capabilities, and to ensure that Gaza will never pose any threat to Israel."