Netanyahu Pushes Back As Pressure Grows To Secure Gaza Ceasefire Deal

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has pushed back against pressure for him to do more to secure the release of Israelis held captive in the Gaza Strip after 11 months of fighting.

Netanyahu is facing mass protests at home and pressure from United States President Joe Biden after Israeli forces at the weekend recovered the bodies of six captives, including 23-year-old American-Israeli Hersh Goldberg-Polin.

But on Monday he signalled he was in no mood to compromise.

He insisted Israeli control of the Philadelphi Corridor, a narrow band along Gaza’s border with Egypt where Israel contends Hamas smuggles weapons into Gaza, was a necessary part of any ceasefire agreement.

Egypt and Hamas deny such activity and the Palestinian group has rejected any Israeli presence in the area.

Netanyahu called the corridor vital to ensuring Hamas, which controls Gaza, was not able to use the tunnels to rearm.

“This is the oxygen of Hamas,” he said, adding: “No one is more committed to freeing the hostages than me … No one will preach to me on this issue.”

The key Israeli ally appears to be growing weary of his intransigence.

Speaking to reporters at the White House on Monday, Biden said he did not think Netanyahu was doing enough to reach a deal, and indicated that the US was planning to present a final proposal to both sides this week.

“We’re very close to that,” Biden told reporters._Aljazeera