Israel’s Netanyahu will only accept partial ceasefire deal with Hamas that would not end Gaza war

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said he will only accept a partial ceasefire deal that would not end the 8-month-long war in Gaza, casting doubt on the viability of a US backed ceasefire proposal.

Netanyahu made the comments late on Sunday in an interview with Israeli Channel 14, a conservative, pro-Netanyahu station. He was ready to make a partial deal to bring back some of the 120 hostages still held in the Gaza Strip, but “we are committed to continuing the war after a pause, in order to complete the goal of eliminating Hamas.”

The comments come at a sensitive time as Israel and Hamas appear to be moving further apart over the US-backed ceasefire proposal, and could represent another setback for mediators trying to end the war.

The three-phased plan would bring about the release of the remaining hostages in exchange for hundreds of Palestinians imprisoned by Israel. But disputes and mistrust persist between Israel and Hamas over how the deal plays out.

Hamas has insisted it will not release the remaining hostages unless there’s a permanent ceasefire and a full withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza.

Israeli ground offensives and bombardments have killed more than 37,500 people in Gaza, according to the territory’s Health Ministry, which does not distinguish between combatants and civilians in its count.