The dueling bids were directed at Netanyahu, whose office said Friday that it “authorized” the text of the three-phased deal that President Biden announced on Friday. But on Saturday, it added that “Israel’s conditions for ending the war have not changed,” and that any deal that does not condition a permanent cease-fire on the destruction of Hamas military and governing capabilities was a “non-starter.”
The proposal includes the halt of fighting for six weeks to swap the hostages in Hamas captivity for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners and a significant boost in aid shipments into the enclave. At least 36,439 people have been killed and 82,627 injured in Gaza since the war began, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, which does not distinguish between civilians and combatants but says the majority of the dead are women and children. Israel estimates that about 1,200 people were killed in Hamas’s Oct. 7 attack, mostly civilians, and 253 were taken hostages. It says 293 soldiers have been killed since the launch of its military operation in Gaza.
