Tel Aviv —

Nearly a week after Hamas accepted the latest Gaza ceasefire proposal from Qatari and Egyptian mediators, Israel has yet to respond - even as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claims he is “immediately” starting negotiations to release all the hostages and end the war.

The silence reflects a fundamental shift in Israel’s approach that has befuddled mediators and families of the remaining hostages, who have accused Netanyahu of abandoning and sacrificing their loved ones.

After 18 months of agreeing only to partial, phased ceasefire deals, Netanyahu is now demanding a comprehensive agreement that would secure the release of all hostages and end the war entirely – on Israel’s terms. The policy reversal comes as the prime minister simultaneously accelerates plans for a mas

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