Netanyahu's ceasefire demands revealed: Is there a risk of negotiations collapsing?

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has listed his new demands for a ceasefireat a time when reaching a ceasefire and hostage exchange agreement in Gaza has come to the fore. 

Netanyahu has long stated that attacks on Gaza will continue until the goal of "destroying Hamas and returning all hostages" is achieved.

Following the resumption of negotiations for a ceasefire and hostage exchange agreement between Israel and Hamas last week, Netanyahu put forward new demands.

The most notable of these concerns Gaza's Egypt border and the crossing point there Rafah Border Crossingstood out as a demand he made regarding the crossing.

Netanyahu demanded that the Israeli occupation of the Gaza-Egypt border, known as the "Philadelphi Corridor," continue and that the Palestinian side of the Rafah Border Crossing remain under the control of Israeli forces.

The Israeli Prime Minister also noted that he is opposed to the return of "Hamas members" to northern Gaza, even in the event of a ceasefire.

In addition to these, Netanyahu argued that any ceasefire and hostage exchange agreement reached in Gaza "must guarantee Israel's right to resume attacks on Gaza until the goals of the war are achieved."

A report on the Israeli news site Walla pointed out that Netanyahu has made the conditions for a ceasefire and hostage exchange agreement more difficult.

An unnamed Israeli official told Walla, "Netanyahu made these tough demands because he is trying to get as much as possible out of the negotiations by exploiting Hamas's weakness. However, there is a risk that he might go too far and cause the negotiations to collapse."

News Source: AA