Netanyahu: We didn’t impose new conditions in the Gaza negotiations
The Israeli Prime Minister’s Office said that the claim that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu added new demands to the May 27 plan is a false claim, noting that Hamas made 29 changes to the hostage release agreement in Gaza.
The statement said, “The July 27 draft doesn’t include new conditions, and doesn’t conflict with the May 27 plan… Hamas is the one that demanded 29 changes, which the prime minister opposed”.
Netanyahu’s office said, “The draft document of May 27 indicates the need to establish an agreed-upon verification mechanism, to ensure that only unarmed civilians return to the northern Gaza Strip, according to the proposal contained in the outline of the document of May 27”.
The statement continued, “Regarding the claim that new requirements have been added regarding the release of living abductees, the May 27 draft stated that all living abductees in the relevant category must be released, in accordance with the May 27 plan, which stipulated that there should be a certain number of abductees”.
As for adding new requirements regarding the manner in which Palestinian prisoners will be released, no new conditions were set in the May 27 draft.
On the contrary, the May 27 outline stated that Israel would have veto power over a certain number of prisoners released, and that Israel would be able to deport at least a certain number of them, Netanyahu’s office said.
