Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday that a ceasefire deal with Hamas was within reach, but only if Hamas abandoned its “delusional claims” amid tense negotiations.
Netanyahu told CBS's Margaret Brennan on “Face the Nation” that Israel and Hamas are still far apart in negotiations over a six-week ceasefire agreement that could see the release of about 40 Israeli hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners.
“If Hamas moves away from its delusional claims and brings them back down to earth, then we will achieve the progress we all want,” Netanyahu said of the negotiations.
“Hamas started with crazy demands,” he continued. “It's too early to say they've let them down, but if they let them down, they'll get into what you call the ballpark. They're not even in town. You are on another planet. But if they come to a sensible situation, then we will bring the hostages back home.”
Netanyahu declined to clarify which specific Hamas demands went too far or to discuss details of the negotiations, but said no deal should “jeopardize a complete victory” over Hamas.
President Biden announced the framework of the latest round of negotiations earlier this month, after weeks of negotiations involving the leaders of Qatar and Jordan, as well as Israel and Hamas.
“The key elements of the deal are on the table,” Biden said. “Gaps remain, but I encouraged Israeli leaders to continue working to achieve the agreement. The United States will do everything we can to make this happen.”
A temporary ceasefire agreement late last year led to the release of almost half of the roughly 200 people taken hostage by Hamas at the start of the conflict. It is believed that around 100 hostages are still being held by Hamas, including around six Americans.
Biden has increased some pressure on Netanyahu in recent weeks as the U.S. pushes Israel to slow its military offensive in the southern Gaza Strip and prevent an expected ground invasion in Rafah, where about 1.4 million displaced Palestinians now live.
The Biden administration has repeatedly said that Israel should not advance against Rafah without a concrete military plan to reduce civilian casualties that has been vetted by the U.S. government. Netanyahu said he would review the Israeli military's invasion plan later on Sunday.
The prime minister added that the invasion of Rafah “must be done,” adding that once an invasion of Rafah begins, “victory is within reach in weeks, not months.”
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