Israeli Officials Asked Netanyahu to Ease Position on Hamas Deal, He Refused

The heads of Israel's security agencies asked Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to soften his position on the deal with the Palestinian movement Hamas, but he refused, the media reported, citing two Israeli officials familiar with the matter.

The heads of the Israel Defense Forces, the Mossad and the Shin Bet told Netanyahu that they believed Hamas was unlikely to back down from its conditions for the withdrawal of Israeli troops from the Gaza Strip and an end to the war, the publication said. They told him that if the Israeli government was interested in a deal, it should soften its current position, but Netanyahu refused to end the war in exchange for a deal to release the hostages, it added.

Netanyahu reportedly justified his position by the fact that such a deal with Hamas would allow the movement to continue its existence.