Hamas: Taking Gaza City Won't Be A "Picnic"

Hamas released a statement today (Wednesday) in response to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's rejection of their offer of a partial hostage deal:

"While the organization announced its acceptance of the mediators' latest proposal, the Zionist government insists on continuing its war while escalating its operations in Gaza City. Netanyahu's disregard for the mediators' proposal and his lack of response prove that he constitutes the real obstacle to any agreement, that he does not care about the lives of the hostages and is not serious about their return. The operation will fail just as its predecessors did, Israel will not achieve its objectives and the occupation of Gaza will not be a picnic."

Hamas agreed to something reportedly close to Steve Witkoff's original proposal for a partial hostage deal after the Egyptian and Qatari mediators heavily pressured them to do so, despite having dragged their feet on negotiations for weeks and even entirely rejected the proposal when the Hamas media campaign alleging Israel was deliberately starving Gaza a few weeks before.

The mediators told Hamas that they were delusional that time was on their side, that Israel was serious about its desire to take Gaza City, and that their hope that international pressure would force Israel into a deal on Hamas' terms was forlorn.

For his part, Netanyahu has repeatedly stated that he is sticking to the principles outlined in the government decision approved previously: no partial deals, only one comprehensive deal in which all the hostages are freed and Hamas disarms and is removed from power.

Some reports in the media suggest he is equivocal on the matter and open to a partial deal that could lead to a comprehensive deal on Israel's terms, but thus far the Prime Minister has given no sign of being so inclined.