Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu. (Photo: Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)
Responding to claims by Hamas that he was adding conditions to the hostage deal to delay and maybe sink it, Prime Minister Netanyahu released a statement today (Monday) claiming the opposite.
The statement released by his office said that "Hamas' leadership is preventing an agreement. Israel did not change and did not add any condition to the deal. To the contrary, as of this moment Hamas is the one who demanded 29 changes and did not agree to the original agreement."
Netanyahu then reiterated Israel's core requirements per the original deal: "Maximizing the number of live hostages, Israeli control of Philadelphi, and preventing the movement of terrorists and weapons to the northern Strip."