Netanyahu is insistent that Israel needs to maintain an indefinite military presence in Gaza, which critics say will only jeopardize the release of all remaining Israeli hostages. Suddenly, it is no longer about rescuing the hostages at all but about Netanyahu keeping his war intact for self-serving political reasons.
Officials from the Biden regime say they have been working on ways to try to convince Netanyahu to work more closely with Hamas to get the hostages released, but those efforts hit a major roadblock after the bodies of six hostages were discovered in an underground Gaza tunnel over the weekend.
Joe Biden still claims his people are "very close" to proposing a "final" hostage deal that will ultimately satisfy both sides, but Netanyahu could be a tough shell to crack as he refuses to withdraw Israel Defense Forces (IDF) from the Philadelphi corridor, a 14-kilometer (roughly nine-mile) strip of no man's land between the Gaza Strip and Egypt.
According to Netanyahu, the only way for Israel to win the war in Gaza and defeat Hamas once and for all is for Israel to maintain a military presence in the Philadelphi corridor.
(Related: The Israeli military is killing Israel's own hostages in its reckless attacks on Gaza targets – when will the carnage finally end?)
Netanyahu suddenly wants Philadelphi corridor under Israeli control
Those who were hopeful about a peace deal going through are discouraged by Netanyahu's rigid position. One source familiar with the discussions in Washington confirmed to CNN that Netanyahu is doubling down against any attempt at a ceasefire, no matter the terms.
"This guy [Netanyahu] torpedoed everything in one speech," the source is quoted as saying.
The Philadelphi corridor has become a major point of contention in the ongoing peace talks as negotiators learned that Netanyahu wants it as part of the deal. This contradicts the proposal Israel put forth back in May that made no mention of Philadelphi.
Netanyahu continues to alter the terms of the deal Israel forged with the help of Qatar, Egypt and the United States earlier this year. Now, suddenly, the Philadelphi corridor has become a "non-negotiable" component of any ceasefire agreement.
According to Hamas, Israel is the one prolonging negotiations by constantly issuing new demands after already agreeing to different ones. Lead Hamas negotiator Khalil al-Hayya told the media that the situation is basically a stalemate now because neither Israel nor Hamas is willing to give up control of the Philadelphi corridor.
The most recent things Netanyahu said about his ceasefire terms are so different than what he was saying earlier this year that even the families of the Israeli hostages are upset at him.
Opposition leader Yair Lapid is also upset at Netanyahu, who he says is putting "unfounded political spin" on the negotiations. In Lapid's opinion, Netanyahu's new condition "has no relation to reality."
The Hostages Families Forum commented on Netanyahu's most recent remarks as well, stating that the prime minister "does not intend to return the hostages" as he originally implied was the point of his war in the first place.
Like most politicians, Netanyahu has his own agenda that has nothing to do with rescuing hostages or bringing about peace. The people of Israel are learning this as they take to the streets in protest against his rule of terror.
The same is likely true about Hamas as well. Neither side can "win" apart from some kind of supernatural solution appearing in the final hour. This seems to be right about where we are now in the prophetic timeline, so stay tuned.
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