As Netanyahu's demands stall peace talks, leaked documents show how he rewrote original proposal

At a time when Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is facing all-round criticism for stalling the peace deal with his new demands, leaked documents have surfaced that show how he rewrote the peace proposal.

In May, US President Joe Biden outlined a three-phase peace proposal for the end of the war in the Gaza Strip and release of hostages held by Hamas. He announced the proposal in a speech from the White House after Netanyahu accepted it.

In the first phase, a select class of hostages were to be released and Israeli troops were to withdraw from urban centres. In the next phase, the troops were to withdrew completely in lieu of the release of all hostages. The third phase would mark the end of the war and beginning of Gaza’s reconstruction.

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In July, however, Netanyahu inserted four new demands into the proposal. These new demands, the principal among them being the control of Philadelphi Corridor along the Egypt-Gaza border, have stalled the talks and prevented the signing of any peace deal.

Now, Israeli outlet Ynet has published leaked documents that show the extent the original May proposal was rewritten by Netanyahu in July.

The report said the changes were so extreme that the proposal after Netanyahu’s demands came to be known as ‘Netanyahu Outline’. It said Netanyahu dubbed these new demands as “non-negotiable”.

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On his part, Netanyahu maintained that new demands were not new at all, but mere clarifications to the original proposal floated in May, according to the report.

Here is how Netanyahu inserted the four demands and rewrote the peace proposal.

Israeli military withdrawal — Philadelphi Corridor demand

In the May proposal, the Israeli forces were to withdraw from urban centres in phase one and there were three maps outlining the withdrawal, according to Ynet.

In the July proposal rewritten by Netanyahu, the report said two of the three maps were same, but the third map was new. The third map showed that while the Israeli military presence would be reduced in the Philadelphi Corridor, a narrow strip of land along the Egypt-Gaza border, troops would not entirely vacate the area.

מסמך ה"הבהרות" נחשף במלואו: המפות, השינויים ורשימת החטופים שהכניס נתניהוhttps://t.co/1Vy0Y4Dvsk@ronenbergman pic.twitter.com/tfeHBIDoPI

— ynet עדכוני (@ynetalerts) September 3, 2024

This demand as outlined in the new map is the biggest sticking point. Even as Hamas and Egypt have both rejected it, Netanyahu has continued to stick to it despite nationwide outrage. A deal to resolve the crisis remains distant as the demand stands rejected.

The Netzarim Corridor demand

In the May proposal, there was no provision of checkpoints along the east-west Netzarim Corridor to be used by displaced Gazans to return home. The Israeli military was onboard with this absence of any checkpoints.

In July, however, Netanyahu inserted the demand to set up checkpoints along the Netzarim Corridor to screen Gazans returning home for weapons and terrorists, according to Ynet.

The report said the new proposal said the return “will be guaranteed and implemented in a pre-approved manner”, as per an English translation of the leaked text.

New demands regarding hostage-release

As per the May proposal, 33 hostages from the humanitarian category were to be released in the first phase of the deal. They would comprise women, children, elderly, and sick and wounded. They would be released in lieu of the release of Palestinian prisoners held in Israel.

In July, the Ynet reported that Netanyahu made a list of 33 hostages that Israel wanted to be released in the first phase of the three-phase peace plan.

קרובי החטופים שנכללים במסמך נתניהו: "הרשימה הולכת ומתקצרת, כל שם צורב"https://t.co/EX9t0ntIfE pic.twitter.com/vRmGZiShh4

— ynet עדכוני (@ynetalerts) September 4, 2024

Moreover, while it was mentioned in the May proposal that at least 50 Palestinian prisoners with a life sentence would be released either abroad or in Gaza as part of the swap, Netanyahu in July changed the terms to say that such prisoners would only be released abroad and not in Gaza, according to the report.

The issue of Rafah crossing

In the May proposal, certain terms were laid down for the opening of the Rafah border crossing between Egypt and Gaza, which Israel has controlled since May.

Ynet quoted the May proposal as saying: “After all Israeli female soldiers have been released, permitting the number to be agreed upon of wounded military individuals to travel to the Rafah crossing to receive medical treatment, and the increase in the number of travelers and ill and wounded through the Rafah crossing and removal of restrictions on travel and return of movement of goods and trade.”

In July, however, Netanyahu altered the wording such that proposal stated that “arrangements would be made to reopen the Rafah Crossing” rather than committing to a definite reopening, according to the report.

Hostages’ families slam Netanyahu

After the publication of the Ynet’s report which detailed the extent to which Netanyahu rewrote the original ceasefire, the hostages’ families said he could “no longer claim that he is not torpedoing or thwarting the deal”, according to The Times of Israel.

The leaked documents are “another nail in the coffin for the deal that would return the hostages”, said the Hostages Families Forum in a statement.

The Forum further said, “Enough with the deception and the abandonment. Enough about lying to the public and enough with the spins about Philadelphi. For how long will the hostages be murdered in captivity while Netanyahu plays with maps and public opinion?”