In less than an hour, during a press conference held on Monday afternoon, September 2 in Jerusalem, Benjamin Netanyahu succeeded in destroying the last remaining hopes of the families of the hostages held in Gaza. These dashed hopes are that the Israeli Prime Minister will give a signal, however weak, that a negotiated solution with Hamas for the fate of the captives remains possible.
Since the announcement on Sunday that six of them had been killed by their jailers, a huge mobilisation has erupted in Israel, fuelled by the grief of the families and the intransigence of the authorities, which is delaying negotiations in the face of a The “deal” was intended to exchange the 101 hostages, whether alive or dead, who remained in Gaza for a certain number of Palestinian prisoners held by Israel. Faced with pressure from the streets of Israel, from his own military leaders and from his Western allies, first and foremost the United States, who are urging him to move forward, Benjamin Netanyahu does not seem to want to give in.
Certainly, the Prime Minister affirmed the need for the country “be united” in these circumstances, and apologized to the families for not having “not enough has been done” to save their own. This is the first time. This will not reduce their pain or anger, nor will it lessen the concern of those who fear that reports of hostage deaths during military operations in the areas of Gaza where they are detained, particularly in the south of the enclave, will continue. To dispel any doubt on this issue, Hamas declared on Monday that “New instructions had been given” to the hostage guards. “Netanyahu’s determination to release the prisoners [les otages] “Under military pressure, instead of reaching an agreement, it means that they will return to their families in coffins.”“Abou Obeida, spokesman for the armed wing of the Palestinian movement, the Ezzedine Al-Qassam Brigades, said in a statement.
Blockade in the Philadelphia corridor
The process of negotiations for an agreement that would pave the way for a cessation of hostilities has been underway for weeks between three mediating countries, the United States, Egypt and Qatar. Among the points of conflict between Israel and Hamas, one is particularly prominent: the Philadelphia corridor, this strip that runs along the 14-kilometer common border between the Gaza Strip and Egypt. The Israeli army took control at the end of May, against all advice, in particular that of Egypt and the United States, for whom its maintenance constituted a potential red line. Hamas now refuses to enter into negotiations if the Israeli army remains stationed along the corridor.
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