Netanyahu says ‘no Hamas’ in postwar Gaza as U.S. proposes ceasefire
Global News
Trump said a 60-day period would be used to work toward ending the conflict — something Israel says it won't accept until Hamas is defeated.
Hamas and Israel staked out their positions Wednesday ahead of expected talks on a Washington-backed ceasefire proposal, with the militant group suggesting it was open to an agreement while the Israeli prime minister vowed “there will be no Hamas” in post-conflict Gaza.
Both stopped short of accepting the proposal announced by U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday. Hamas insisted on its longstanding position that any deal bring an end to the conflict in Gaza.
Trump said 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 U.S. 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 conflict.
Trump said the 60-day period would be used to work toward ending the conflict — something Israel says it won’t accept until Hamas is defeated. He said that a deal might come together as soon as next week.
But Hamas’ response, which emphasized its demand that the conflict end, raised questions about whether the latest offer could materialize 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 with Egyptian and Qatari mediators in Cairo on Wednesday to discuss the proposal, according to an Egyptian official. The official spoke on condition of anonymity, because he wasn’t authorized to discuss the talks with the media.
Throughout the nearly 21-month-long conflict, ceasefire talks between Israel and Hamas have repeatedly faltered over whether the conflict should end as part of any deal.
