Ceasefire Denied: Israel Turns Down Another Hamas Offer

26-01-2024

Naira ElTonsy

Middle East and Human Rights Researcher

Global Human Rights Defence

The Israeli government has yet again failed to end the suffering of Palestinians in Gaza by rejecting Hamas’s offer for a permanent ceasefire, in return for releasing all hostages, on both sides. [1] Netanyahu supported such a decision by stating that he rejects “outright the terms of the surrender of the monsters of Hamas”, as the deal will keep Hamas “intact”. [2] Instead, he proposed a two-month ceasefire in exchange for releasing all the remaining 136 Israeli hostages and some, but not all, of the 6000 Palestinian prisoners. [3] Furthermore, the proposal also entailed the relocation of top Hamas leaders in Gaza to other countries. [4] Nevertheless, Hamas rejected the offer, firmly asserting that no more hostages would be released until Israeli officials ended its operations and completely withdrew its forces from Gaza. [5]

As well as refusing a permanent ceasefire, Netanyahu also declined other elements of the negotiations, which included increasing aid, the rebuilding of Gaza, and the prospect of establishing a Palestinian state. [6] Following the rejection of the truce, Yoav Galant, Israel’s Defense Minister, made a claim about Khan Younis, which was considered one of the ‘safe zones’, stating that operations there “will soon expand. Smoke will continue to cover Gaza’s skies until our goals are achieved - the collapse of Hamas and the return of hostages”. [7] Hamas’s health ministry reported that 178 Palestinians were killed on the 21st of January, rendering it one of the deadliest days since the beginning of the war on Gaza. [8] 

Not only Palestinians and their supporters express discontent with the Israeli government’s decisions, but also the relatives of hostages held in Gaza who disrupted a committee meeting in the Israeli parliament share similar frustrations. They advocated a campaign for Netanyahu to sustain a deal that would ensure the return of the hostages. [9] However, Netanyahu and Yoav Gallant have continuously argued that the maintenance of intense military pressure on Hamas is the only way to bring the hostages back. [10]

The rejection of Hamas’s proposal for a ceasefire by the Israeli government comes as no surprise, as it has happened before on several accounts. For many years, Hamas has been one of Palestine’s most popular resistance fronts. It has proposed various truces with Israel in exchange for recognising Palestine as a sovereign independent state, which have all been rejected by Israel, with the reasoning that Hamas cannot be trusted. [11]

The past 116 days have made it apparent to the whole world that such statements made by Israel are blatant lies used to sustain their own motives of ethnically cleansing Palestinians. This is not a war on Hamas, it is a war on the Palestinian people themselves. In the relentless struggle for peace, the Palestinian people have endured far too much, facing an unimaginable humanitarian crisis. The repeated rejection of ceasefires and the ongoing conflict paint a grim picture of suffering. The fact that over 25,000 Palestinians have lost their lives and families were torn apart and displaced is a stark reminder that the pursuit of a just resolution cannot be delayed any further. The time has come to break the cycle, end the apartheid, and usher in an era where the cries for peace are heard louder than the echoes of conflict. Humanity must prevail over hostility.

Sources and Further Reading

[1] The New Arab, (2024, January 23), ‘Israel rejects Hamas hostage release deal, lays out own Gaza truce terms’ <Israel rejects Hamas hostage release deal, lays out own Gaza truce terms> accessed 26 January 2024.

[2] Ibid.

[3] Ibid.

[4] The Telegraph, (2024, January 23), ‘Israel-Hamas war latest: Hamas rejects ceasefire until Israel withdraws from Gaza, report says’ <Israel-Hamas war latest: Hamas rejects ceasefire until Israel withdraws from Gaza, report says> accessed 26 January 2024. 

[5] Ibid.

[6] XinhuaNet, (2024, January 22), ‘Israeli PM rejects ceasefire plan as army continues strike in Gaza’ <Israeli PM rejects ceasefire plan as army continues strike in Gaza-Xinhua> accessed 26 January 2024.

[7] Ibid.

[8] Ibid. 

[9] James Shotter, Financial Times, (2024, January 22), ‘Israeli hostage relatives storm parliament as Benjamin Netanyahu rejects Gaza truce’ <Israeli hostage relatives storm parliament as Benjamin Netanyahu rejects Gaza truce | Financial Times> accessed 26 January 2024.

[10] Ibid. 

[11] Zena Al Tahhan, AlJazeera, (2024, January 22), ‘How Israel has repeatedly rejected Hamas truce offers’ <How Israel has repeatedly rejected Hamas truce offers | Israel War on Gaza | Al Jazeera> accessed 26 January 2024.