TEL AVIV: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pushed back against calls to soften his demands for a cease-fire with Hamas after six hostages were found slain in southern Gaza.
“No one is more committed to freeing the hostages than me. … No one will preach to me on this issue,” Netanyahu said, according to The Associated Press.
Among the sticking points in negotiations is Netanyahu’s push for Israel to retain control of the Philadelphi Corridor on the Gaza-Egypt border.
Israel claims Hamas uses tunnels along the corridor to smuggle weapons into Gaza. Egypt and Hamas deny the claims.
On Sunday, hundreds of thousands of Israelis marched in the streets to mourn the news that the bodies of six slain hostages were found in southern Gaza.
At a televised press conference on Monday, Netanyahu said he sought forgiveness for failing to save the slain hostages.
“I ask for your forgiveness for not bringing them back alive,” he said. “We were close, but we didn’t succeed. Hamas will pay a very heavy price for this.”
Late Monday, several thousand demonstrators gathered outside Netanyahu’s private home in central Jerusalem, chanting, “Deal. Now.”
Earlier Monday, a general workers’ strike disrupted Israel as the largest Israeli trade union and businesses sought to pressure the government to reach a cease-fire deal with Hamas to end fighting in Gaza as the war nears the 11-month mark.
Banks, public transit, hospitals, stores and the country’s main airport were either shuttered or open in limited ways. In some sectors, the strike’s effects were less noticeable.
The work disruption ended after eight hours, in midafternoon, when a court ruled that the Histadrut union had not given enough notice for the protest.
(VOA)
Comment