Benjamin Netanyahu vows ‘there will be no Hamas’ in post-war Gaza
Hamas said in a brief statement on Wednesday that it had received a ceasefire proposal.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed that “there will be no Hamas” in post-war Gaza.
US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that Israel had agreed on terms for a 60-day ceasefire in Gaza and urged Hamas to accept the deal before conditions worsen.
The US leader has been increasing pressure on the Israeli government and Hamas to broker a ceasefire and hostage agreement, and bring about an end to the war.
Hamas said in a brief statement on Wednesday that it had received a proposal from the mediators and was holding talks with them to “bridge gaps” to return to the negotiating table to try to reach a ceasefire agreement.
Mr Trump said the 60-day period would be used to work toward ending the war, something Israel says it will not accept until Hamas is defeated.
He said that a deal might come together as soon as next week.
But Hamas’ response, which emphasised its demand that the war end, raised questions about whether the latest offer could materialise into an actual pause in fighting.
Hamas official Taher al-Nunu said that the militant group was “ready and serious regarding reaching an agreement”.
He said Hamas was “ready to accept any initiative that clearly leads to the complete end to the war”.
A Hamas delegation is expected to meet Egyptian and Qatari mediators in Cairo on Wednesday to discuss the proposal, according to an Egyptian official.
Hamas has said that it is willing to free the remaining 50 hostages, fewer than half of whom are said to be alive, in exchange for a complete Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and an end to the war.
Israel says it will only agree to end the war if Hamas surrenders, disarms and exiles itself, something the group refuses to do.
“I am announcing to you, there will be no Hamas,” Mr Netanyahu said during a speech on Wednesday.
An Israeli official said that the latest proposal calls for a 60-day deal that would include a partial Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and a surge in humanitarian aid to the territory.
