Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has stated that a total victory in Gaza is within reach, rejecting Hamas’ latest offer for a ceasefire to ensure the return of hostages.
Netanyahu reiterated his pledge to destroy the Palestinian Islamist movement and stated that total victory against Hamas was the only solution to the Gaza war.
Hamas had proposed a four-and-a-half-month ceasefire, during which all hostages would be free, Israel would withdraw its troops from the Gaza Strip, and an agreement would be reached on an end to the war.
The Hamas offer, which was discussed with Netanyahu after arriving in Israel after talks with Qatari and Egyptian mediators, was a response to an earlier proposal drawn up by U.S. and Israeli spy chiefs. Israel began its military offensive after militants from Hamas-ruled Gaza killed 1,200 people and took 253 hostages in southern Israel on October 7.
Gaza’s health ministry reports at least 27,585 Palestinians have been confirmed killed, with thousands more feared buried under rubble. Israel has previously stated that it would not withdraw its troops from Gaza or end the war until Hamas was wiped out.
(Reuters)
