Following Trump's lead, Netanyahu shifts Gaza ceasefire strategy despite Hamas acceptance

Nearly a week after Hamas accepted the latest Gaza ceasefire proposal brokered by Qatari and Egyptian mediators, Israel has yet to respond — despite Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's claim that he is "immediately" initiating negotiations to release all hostages and end the war.

The continued silence signals a significant shift in Israel's approach, leaving mediators and families of the remaining hostages frustrated and accusing Netanyahu of abandoning their loved ones, reports CNN. 

After 18 months of agreeing only to partial, phased ceasefires, Netanyahu is now demanding a comprehensive deal that would secure the release of all hostages and bring the war to a complete end — on Israel's terms. This policy reversal coincides with preparations for a large-scale military assault on Gaza City, reflecting a dual strategy of negotiating while waging war to "defeat Hamas." 

On Thursday, Netanyahu announced that he had instructed his team to begin negotiations immediately for the return of all hostages and the end of the Gaza conflict. However, he did not reference the current proposal on the table, which suggests a temporary ceasefire in exchange for the release of half the hostages. This latest offer mirrors the 60-day ceasefire Netanyahu approved last month, but with terms more favorable to Israel following Hamas' flexibility regarding prisoner numbers and security perimeters.

Meanwhile, Netanyahu continues to advance plans for the Israel Defense Forces' (IDF) large-scale offensive in Gaza City. Israeli officials attribute Hamas' concessions to the looming threat of the military operation, believing that sustained pressure will compel Hamas to accept Israel's conditions for ending the war.

Israel has long argued that sustained military pressure would compel Hamas to negotiate, but despite nearly two years of conflict and significant losses, the group has resisted defeat.

Netanyahu has not clarified what prompted his abrupt shift from negotiating partial ceasefires to insisting on a comprehensive deal, leaving both domestic and international observers puzzled. For 18 months, his government refused to discuss ending the war, agreeing only to phased, limited ceasefire agreements. Now, Netanyahu demands an all-or-nothing deal and has hesitated to respond to Hamas' acceptance of the latest mediators' proposal.

Basem Naim, a senior Hamas political bureau member, said, "The movement has presented everything necessary to reach a ceasefire agreement and is still ready to do so with all national responsibility and an open mind." Naim accused Netanyahu of pursuing a "dirty game" under a green light from the Trump administration.

Senior Israeli officials suggest that the pivot in Netanyahu's strategy is influenced by Washington. In recent weeks, US President Donald Trump publicly endorsed Israel's renewed assault on Gaza, echoing Israeli rhetoric about destroying Hamas rather than advocating a temporary ceasefire.

"We will only see the return of the remaining hostages when Hamas is confronted and destroyed!!! The sooner this takes place, the better the chances of success will be," Trump wrote on Truth Social last week.

A senior Israeli source said that after Hamas raised obstacles during July negotiations in Qatar, Trump "lost patience with the partial process and doesn't believe Hamas actually wants a deal." His envoy, Steve Witkoff, criticized Hamas as uncoordinated and acting in bad faith, signaling that the US would explore alternative methods to secure hostage releases and stabilize Gaza.

Trump also told reporters, "It was too bad. Hamas didn't really want to make a deal. I think they want to die." Soon after, Netanyahu's office adopted an "all or nothing" approach, demanding a comprehensive agreement.

During the latest Israeli security cabinet meeting, which approved the expansion of the Gaza City operation, five conditions were set to end the war: disarm Hamas, release all hostages, demilitarize Gaza while maintaining Israeli security control, and establish an alternative civil administration not affiliated with Hamas or the Palestinian Authority.

Hamas has firmly rejected any notion of disarmament. Israeli analysts say Netanyahu's simultaneous pursuit of war and negotiations is a political tactic to buy time, prolong the conflict, and consolidate his own power.

"Netanyahu is fully aware that Hamas will never accept his conditions for ending the war — and that is precisely his point," Chaim Levinson, senior diplomatic commentator for Israel's Haaretz newspaper, told CNN.

Netanyahu's insistence on territorial control over large parts of Gaza, Levinson added, "is likely to derail any potential agreement."