Israel PM unbowed by pressure as Gaza war rages on

Israel's Netanyahu refuses to make concessions in Gaza truce talks, facing pressure from protests and international scrutiny.

Concerns grew on Tuesday (September 3, 2024) over the chances of securing a Gaza truce, a day after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected making any “concessions” in stalled talks towards a hostage release deal.

Mr. Netanyahu told a televised press conference at the end of a day of nationwide protests that he would “not give in to pressure” to renege on demands in indirect negotiations with Hamas to end the war, now nearing its 12th month.

Analyst Mairav Zonszein of the International Crisis Group said Mr. Netanyahu’s remarks showed “he won’t stop the war... until Hamas surrenders, and he basically announced there won’t be a hostage deal”.

Gripped by grief and fury after six dead hostages were recovered from Gaza, Israelis took to the streets on Sunday (September 3, 2024) and Monday (September 2, 2024) to ramp up pressure on their government to secure the release of the remaining captives.

The military said the six were all captured alive during Hamas’s October 7 attack on southern Israel that triggered the war, and shot dead by the captors shortly before troops had found them.

“These murderers executed six of our hostages,” said Mr. Netanyahu, who has increasingly faced accusations from critics in Israel as well as Hamas officials and analysts of prolonging the war for political gain.

U.S. President Joe Biden, who on Monday (September 2, 2024) met negotiators working alongside Qatar and Egypt to try to secure a truce deal, replied “no” when asked by reporters in Washington if he thought Mr. Netanyahu was doing enough to secure a hostage deal.