US criticizes Israeli PM’s ‘maximalist’ ceasefire stance

A senior US administration official has expressed discontent with recent remarks attributed to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, accusing him of making “maximalist statements” that undermine efforts to finalize a ceasefire agreement. The official described these comments as “not constructive” to achieving a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas.

The criticism comes amid intense regional diplomacy led by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who is working to push forward a ceasefire and hostage release agreement. On Monday, Mr. Blinken held a three-hour meeting with Mr. Netanyahu in Jerusalem. Following the talks, Mr. Blinken indicated that the Israeli leader had accepted Washington’s “bridging proposal,” designed to resolve key issues and bring both parties closer to an agreement.

However, reports from Israeli media suggest that Mr. Netanyahu later claimed to have convinced Mr. Blinken that any deal must allow Israeli troops to remain in areas of Gaza deemed “strategic military and political assets,” including the southern border with Egypt. These remarks appear to have frustrated the US administration.

“We saw the prime minister’s comments, particularly on these points,” said the senior US official, speaking on condition of anonymity. “We’re not going to negotiate in public, but what I can say is that the only thing Secretary Blinken and the United States are committed to is getting a ceasefire proposal finalized.”

The official also emphasized that “maximalist statements like these are not helpful to the process and could jeopardize the implementation of technical and working-level talks necessary to move forward when both parties agree to a bridging proposal.”

The comments follow Secretary Blinken’s Tuesday discussions with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi in El-Alamein. Egyptian officials have reportedly expressed strong opposition to the idea of Israeli troops remaining along Gaza’s border with Egypt.

After his visit to Egypt, Mr. Blinken traveled to Qatar for further discussions in Doha, the final stop on his Middle East tour. Speaking with the BBC, Mr. Blinken disclosed for the first time that the US bridging proposal includes a “detailed plan” for Israeli withdrawal from Gaza. “The agreement is very clear on the schedule and locations of IDF [Israel Defense Forces] withdrawals from Gaza, and Israel has agreed to that,” he said.

When asked about Mr. Netanyahu’s reported claim that he had persuaded Mr. Blinken to allow troops to remain in Gaza, the Secretary of State responded, “I can’t speak to what he’s quoted as saying. I can only speak to what I heard directly from him during our three-hour discussion.” He added that Israel had endorsed the US bridging proposal, which includes specific timelines and locations for troop withdrawals.

Hamas, meanwhile, has rejected the latest ceasefire proposals, calling them a “coup” against previous agreements and insisting that any ceasefire plan for Gaza should be based on the terms discussed in July rather than new negotiations.