TEL AVIV: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday rejected latest ceasefire proposal in Gaza strip and insists on complete victory on Hamas.
He also rejected the offer from Hamas to ensure the return of hostages held in Gaza.
Netanyahu reaffirmed a pledge to wipeout Hamas, saying there is no alternative for Israel but to destroy the Palestinian group.
During a press conference he said that total victory against Hamas is the only solution to the war in Gaza.
Hamas had proposed a ceasefire in Gaza for four-and-a-half months, during which all hostages would be released and Israel would withdraw its forces from the Gaza Strip while an agreement would be finalized to end the war in the besieged enclave.
The Hamas offer, is a response to a proposal given by U.S. and Israeli spy chiefs and handed over to Hamas by Qatari and Egyptian mediators last week.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has also discussed the offer with Netanyahu after reaching Israel following talks with the leaders of Qatar and Egypt. Blinken later had a meeting with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah.
According to the Gaza’s health ministry at least 27,585 Palestinians have been killed, with thousands buried under rubble. There has been only one ceasefire so far, lasting just a week at the end of November.
Meanwhile, tensions continued in occupied East Jerusalem, where dozens of Israelis entered the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, conducting tours despite restrictions. Israeli forces banned Muslim worshippers from accessing the mosque for Friday prayers.
