Netanyahu Calls on Hamas to Disarm, Offers Exile to Leaders
A fragile truce, which came into effect on Jan. 19 after 15 months of war, collapsed on March 18 when Israel resumed its airstrikes and ground offensive in Gaza
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday called on Hamas to lay down its arms, saying its leaders could then leave Gaza, as Israel continued its deadly airstrikes on the Palestinian territory.
Airstrikes on Khan Younis in southern Gaza killed at least 17 people, “mostly children and women,” according to Nasser Hospital. One strike hit a house and a tent sheltering displaced people, killing eight, including five children, on the first day of Eid al-Fitr, the Muslim holiday marking the end of Ramadan, according to Mahmoud Bassal, spokesperson for Gaza’s emergency services.
A fragile cease-fire, in place since Jan. 19 after 15 months of war, collapsed on March 18 when Israel resumed its airstrikes and ground offensive. Both Hamas and Israel said Saturday they received a new truce proposal from mediators aimed at restoring the cease-fire in Gaza.
“Regarding Hamas in Gaza, the military pressure is working (…) We can see cracks starting to appear” in the negotiations, Netanyahu said at the start of a Cabinet meeting. “Hamas must lay down its arms. Its leaders will then be allowed to leave.”
Mediators Egypt, Qatar, and the United States are continuing efforts to restore the cease-fire and secure the release of Israeli hostages still held in Gaza.
A senior Hamas official, Khalil al-Haya, said Saturday that the group had approved a new cease-fire proposal and urged Israel to accept it. However, he insisted that “resistance weapons” were “a red line.” Netanyahu’s office confirmed receipt of the proposal and said Israel had submitted a counterproposal, without providing details.
Shortly after the start of the war in Gaza, the Houthis began targeting Israel and shipping in the Red Sea, claiming solidarity with the Palestinians. These attacks had stopped during the cease-fire but resumed after its collapse.
In Israel, the military reported activating air raid sirens in several regions after a missile was fired from Yemen, then announced it had intercepted it “before it entered Israeli territory.” Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels later claimed they had launched a “ballistic missile” toward Ben Gurion Airport.
Netanyahu to visit Hungary
In Gaza, the humanitarian crisis has worsened since Israel closed border crossings for aid on March 2, seeking to pressure Hamas to release hostages. Nearly all of Gaza’s 2.4 million residents have been displaced.
Israel’s military campaign has killed at least 50,277 people in Gaza, mostly civilians, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, whose figures are considered reliable by the U.N.
Targeted by an International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrant for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza, Netanyahu is set to visit Hungary on April 2, his office announced Sunday. During the trip, he is expected to meet with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban and other senior officials before returning to Israel on April 6.
