Israel-Gaza war: Netanyahu rules out freeing ‘thousands of terrorists’ in truce with Hamas
- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday ruled out releasing ‘thousands’ of Palestinian prisoners as part of any deal to halt fighting in Gaza
- Israeli undercover agents, some disguised as medical staff, raided a West Bank hospital on Tuesday and shot dead three Palestinian militants,
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has denied reports of a possible ceasefire deal to end the war in Gaza during an event in the occupied West Bank on Tuesday, repeating his vow to keep fighting until “absolute victory” over Hamas.
“We will not end this war without achieving all of our goals,” he said. “We will not withdraw the Israeli military from the Gaza Strip, and we will not release thousands of terrorists,” he said, referring to Hamas’ main demands.
On Tuesday, Hamas’ supreme political leader Ismail Haniyeh said the group was studying the latest terms for a deal, but said the priority was the “full withdrawal” of Israeli forces from Gaza, something Israel opposes, and that any agreement should lead to a long-term ceasefire.
He said Hamas’ leadership had been invited to Cairo to continue talks.
The prime minister of Qatar – which has served as a key mediator along with Egypt and the United States – was more upbeat, saying American and Middle Eastern mediators had reached a framework proposal. Speaking at the Atlantic Council in Washington on Monday, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani said the mediators had made “good progress.”