GNITN - Special Edition

Israel At War – Day 700

End This Now

They Just Keep Trying

News is swirling around that another attempt to reach a hostage deal is heating up, but Prime Minister Netanyahu doesn’t see it happening as we’re told in a report from the Jewish News Syndicate:

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday dismissed Hamas’s statement earlier in the evening on its readiness to reach a “comprehensive deal” to end the war in Gaza.

Hamas listed it’s requirements with many nonstarters for Israel:

The terrorist organization listed its conditions for an agreement, that would include the release of all of the remaining 48 hostages (20 of whom are alive, according to Israeli estimates): freeing Palestinian security prisoners, a full withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Strip, opening the entry crossings “for all of the Strip’s needs” and the start of reconstruction.

Netanyahu replied to them this way:

“Unfortunately, this is another Hamas spin that has nothing new in it,” the Prime Minister’s Office responded.

The PM added how the war can end by listing Israel’s demands:

“The war can end immediately under the conditions set by the cabinet: 1. The release of all the hostages. 2. The disarmament of Hamas. 3. The demilitarization of the Strip. 4. Israeli security control of the Strip. 5. The establishment of an alternative civilian government that does not educate for terrorism, does not send terror, and will not threaten Israel. Only these conditions will prevent Hamas from rearming and repeating the October 7 massacre over and over again, as it promises,” the PMO statement continued.

Of course we all know that Hamas isn’t going to agree to any of that including releasing all the hostages. One source I read basically noted that there isn’t movement from any side as of now. All of this rhetoric comes while Israel is now controlling 40% of Gaza City:

The Hamas statement comes as Israel mobilizes tens of thousands of reservists and active-duty troops for a major operation in the heart of Gaza City. Evacuation of noncombatants from the city is also underway.

The Israeli Defense Minister added his opinion and gave Hamas a prophetic warning:

“Hamas continues to close its eyes and utter empty words, but it will soon realize that it must choose between two options: accepting Israel’s conditions for ending the war, primarily the release of all hostages and disarmament, or Gaza [City] will become equivalent to Rafah and Beit Hanoun. The IDF is preparing at full strength,” Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said in response to the Hamas statement.

Israel’s Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich then stated his views of what Hamas needs to do as well:

“It is very simple: return of all hostages, Hamas disarmed, demilitarization of the Strip, an Israeli security buffer zone and freedom of Israeli action in Gaza for the long term. This is the minimal end state of this war. With God’s help we will reach it—either with Hamas surrendering and accepting our conditions, or with its destruction in the coming battles,” said Smotrich.

Hamas Speaks Up

As we see, Hamas isn’t even on the same page as Israel:

In its official communiqué, Hamas wrote: “We are still waiting for Israel’s answer to the proposal conveyed by the mediators on August 18, which was approved by the movement and the Palestinian factions.”

The terrorist organization also restated its backing for a proposed independent technocratic authority of Palestinian experts to oversee Gaza’s civil affairs and take full responsibility, echoing Cairo’s ongoing campaign for such a body.

One Israeli news source says that this is a typical example of Hamas spinning things to make themselves look like the reasonable ones:

Israel’s Channel 12 News reported on Wednesday that the statement is “seen as a pressure tactic by Hamas in light of Israel’s preparations for a ground entry into Gaza. It is another attempt to signal that Hamas already agreed more than two weeks ago to the mediators’ outline for a partial deal, and is now also presenting readiness for a comprehensive deal—while Israel has yet to respond.”

As we reported previously the IDF Chief of Staff is concerned his military will have to run Gaza after Hamas is dispatched:

The Hebrew media outlet also reported that IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir is expected to warn government leaders in the coming days that Israel may need to impose full military rule over the Gaza Strip by November if Hamas is defeated in Gaza City. According to Zamir, if Hamas’s strongholds are destroyed, the Israeli military will become the effective governing authority responsible for civilian life in Gaza.

His worries could be true if not for US President Trump’s plans to be the trustees of the area with the IDF providing only security to the area until it can be rebuilt. Trump gave Hamas his advice, too:

According to a Ynet report on Thursday, the Hamas statement of support for a comprehensive deal is targeted at U.S. President Donald Trump, who earlier on Wednesday demanded Hamas release all of the hostages, writing on Truth Social: “Tell Hamas to IMMEDIATELY give back all 20 Hostages (Not 2 or 5 or 7!), and things will change rapidly. IT WILL END!”

Hamas is thought to be very disturbed that Trump will not be open to supporting them at all:

Palestinian sources told Ynet that the change in Hamas’s position “lies in two central concerns of the movement’s leadership: the possibility that Israel would establish a permanent military government in the Gaza Strip, and the fear of the influence of U.S. President Donald Trump, which could lead to the administration in Washington not standing on the side of the Palestinians.”

As for me Hamas really is pretty arrogant to paint themselves as the victims in all of this. While the lamestream media will allow these poor excuses for humans to manipulate them into siding with them, they need to remember what they did on October 7th of 2023 and understand that Israel won’t let them survive because of it. Add to this how many of the hostages died and murdered in their care and the images of the starving hostages while images of them feasting in the tunnels isn’t helping their cause in the slightest. A we pray for the peace of Jerusalem factor in the need to end the talks and complete the takeover of Gaza. And add in a bold rescue of the hostages as well.