According to Reuters, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has stated that any ceasefire deal for Gaza must allow Israel to resume fighting until its war objectives are met.
This comes as talks over a U.S. plan aimed at ending the nine-month-old war between Israel and Hamas are expected to restart.
Netanyahu said the deal must not prevent Israel from continuing its efforts to dismantle Hamas’ military and governing capabilities, as well as secure the release of around 120 Israeli hostages being held in Gaza.
He insisted that the plan agreed to by Israel and welcomed by President Biden would allow Israel to free the hostages without compromising its other war goals.
However, Hamas has dropped its previous demand that Israel commit to a permanent ceasefire before signing an agreement.
Instead, the group said it would allow negotiations to achieve that during the proposed six-week first phase of the plan.
The conflicting positions of Israel and Hamas on the terms of a ceasefire have created uncertainty around the viability of the U.S.-backed proposal.
Protests have erupted in Israel, with demonstrators urging the government to secure the release of the remaining captives in Gaza.
Meanwhile, the conflict has continued to take a heavy toll, with at least 15 Palestinians killed in recent Israeli strikes in Gaza.
The fighting, which began in October, 7 2023 when Hamas-led fighters attacked southern Israel, has resulted in over 38,000 Palestinian casualties, according to Gaza health officials.
Credit : Reuters