‘Agreement is not happening because of Hamas…’, said Israeli PM Netanyahu on the ongoing war in Gaza
Speaking during the weekly cabinet meeting in Jerusalem, Netanyahu said that although Israel has agreed to the initial outline of the agreement, Hamas is still demanding more changes.
X
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (file photo)
aajtak.in
- New Delhi,
- 05 August 2024,
- (Updated 05 August 2024, 12:42 AM IST)
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday, August 4, blamed Hamas for the collapse of a long-stalled deal to end the war in Gaza and release Israeli hostages, more than 300 days after it began with an attack on the Israeli border on October 7.
Speaking during the weekly cabinet meeting in Jerusalem, Netanyahu said that although Israel has agreed to the initial outline of the agreement, Hamas is still demanding more changes. Cross-border firing between Israel and Hamas, the Islamic group that controls the Gaza Strip, continued on Sunday.
Regional tensions after Haniya’s killing
Related news
A deal appears unlikely as regional tensions have escalated following the killing of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran on Wednesday, a day after an Israeli attack in Beirut killed Fuad Shukr, a top military commander of Lebanon’s armed group Hezbollah.
Both Hamas and Iran have accused Israel of killing Haniya and have vowed to retaliate. Israel has neither taken responsibility for the killing nor denied it.
Like Hamas, Hezbollah is also supported by Iran and has also vowed revenge after the killing of the Hamas leader. “The State of Israel is in a multi-domain war against Iran. We are strongly attacking any of its weapons,” Netanyahu told his ministers at a cabinet meeting.
Also read: Israeli army’s fierce attack on 2 cities of Gaza, airstrike on school, 20 people killed
Tensions have increased in the Middle East since the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Iran’s capital Tehran. Dozens of missiles were fired from Lebanon towards Israel in the early hours of Sunday. During this, the sound of sirens was also heard continuously. After this, Israel has issued a red alert in the entire country. However, it claims that all the missiles have been destroyed in the sky by Iron Don.
Lebanese citizen Hamada al-Harj said, “I was saddened to learn about Ismail Haniya’s death. His death was heartbreaking. He was a respected person. His murder was the biggest mistake. His presence was very important for Gaza. He opposed the war and worked for a ceasefire in Gaza. It depends on the intentions of the mediators whether there will be a ceasefire or not.”