GNITN - Special Edition

Israel At War Day 604

They Aren’t Serious

What A Surprise

Hamas responds to the Witkoff framework and I could have told you they aren’t serious about a deal. We see in a report on the negotiations from The Jerusalem Post just how outlandish their demands are now:

US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff slammed Hamas for making what he called were "backward" changes to the US-backed hostage deal proposal.

Witkoff couldn’t be clearer about how he feels about the response:

"I received the Hamas response to the United States’ proposal. It is totally unacceptable and only takes us backward. Hamas should accept the framework proposal we put forward as the basis for proximity talks, which we can begin immediately this coming week," Witkoff said on X/Twitter.

"That is the only way we can close a 60-day ceasefire deal in the coming days in which half of the living hostages and half of those who are deceased will come home to their families and in which we can have at the proximity talks substantive negotiations in good-faith to try to reach a permanent ceasefire," he concluded.

Witkoff’s statements followed the Hamas response:

His statements came following an official announcement from Hamas saying,"Following a round of national consultations, and out of our responsibility to our people and their suffering, Hamas today submitted to the mediators its response to the latest proposal by US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, in a manner that will lead to a permanent ceasefire, a full withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, and ensuring the flow of aid to our people in the Gaza Strip."

"As part of this agreement, ten live Israeli hostages, held by the resistance, will be released, in addition to the return of eighteen bodies, in exchange for an agreed number of Palestinian prisoners," the statement concluded.

Hamas avoided the various differences that aren’t on the table, differences that are major points of contention:

The original Witkoff proposal did not include a full IDF withdrawal or a permanent ceasefire, meaning the response doesn't answer positively to the terms, and Hamas added terms of its own.

Prime Minister Netanyahu weighed in, too:

The Prime Minister's Office also responded to Hamas's changes, saying, While Israel has agreed to the updated Witkoff framework for the release of our hostages, Hamas continues to cling to its refusal."

"As stated by President Trump’s special envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, Hamas’ response is totally unacceptable and takes the situation backward."

"Israel will continue its efforts to bring our hostages home and to defeat Hamas," the statement concluded.

Asking For A Lot

In a sure sign that they really don’t want a deal, details of what Hamas wants are leaking out:

Later, N12 and Ynet reported that Hamas's demands included a ceasefire for up to seven years.

After what Hamas did on October 17th of 2023, it would be totally foolish to let them have 7 years to rebuild all that the IDF has taken from them since. The one thing Hamas needs is time and time is the one thing Israel isn’t currently giving them. Still they maintain that they are being reasonable:

Earlier on Saturday, sources told Saudi news sources Al-Arabiya and Al-Hadath that the terrorist organization will respond positively to the envoy's proposal, but with reservations.

The initial announcement was made by a senior official of the terrorist organization to the Hamas-affiliated newspaper Al-Risalah, adding that the response will come after a series of leadership consultations within the terror group.

One report shows their real hand and that is they want Israel to just let them get away with all they’ve done. Hamas wants to survive and they want the US to enforce any agreement including the release of yet even more dangerous prisoners:

Hamas will express opposition to the lack of clear guarantees for ending the war, according to Al-Arabiya, while also reporting that the terrorist organization will warn in its response that it will not allow Israel "freedom of action to renew the war," and will demand US guarantees for the implementation of the clauses in any agreement with Israel. The report also said that Hamas will request, as part of the proposal, that Palestinian prisoners should not be handed over in just two days, as stated in Witkoff's proposal, but rather in batches over the 60-day truce.

Yet Hamas claims that their side is totally behind Witkoff’s offer while they add more things to it. A 7 year peace agreement? Really? The article then adds this little nugget from Hamas:

The factions said that the current outline is an opportunity for Hamas to "stop the war, and make clear that any possibility for it continuing must be taken away from Netanyahu, and the global push against Israel must be exploited to halt the establishment of new settlements in the West Bank."

In a separate report found in The Times Of Israel we get a little more on what Hamas wants:

Hamas has requested a ceasefire lasting up to seven years in its response to the latest hostage and ceasefire proposal from US special envoy Steve Witkoff, an Israeli official confirms to The Times of Israel.

The terror group’s response includes several edits to the framework, among them the demand for a years-long truce, a full IDF withdrawal from all territory captured since March, the cancellation of the new aid distribution model in Gaza, and a return to the previous aid mechanism, Ynet reported earlier.

A source directly involved in the negotiations told The Times of Israel earlier that Hamas demanded changes that would make it harder for Israel to resume its military campaign if talks on a permanent ceasefire are not completed by the end of the 60-day truce.

I don’t need a crystal ball to tell you what Israel thinks of these new demands. Pray that Israel will not give in to any pressure to let Hamas have even a second of breathing room and I also pray that they will rescue as many hostages as they can and soon. They will never have a better moment than now to eliminate Hamas. Take full advantage of it.