Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has insisted on the complete destruction of Hamas as part of Israel's plan, presented by US President Joe Biden, to end the war in Gaza.
"Israel's conditions for ending the war have not changed: destroying Hamas's military and governance capabilities, releasing all hostages and ensuring that Gaza no longer poses a threat to Israel," the Israeli leader said.
"Under the proposal, Israel will continue to insist that these conditions be met before a permanent ceasefire is put in place. The idea that Israel will agree to a permanent ceasefire before these conditions are met is untenable," Netanyahu added
Biden announced that Israel is offering a new roadmap to achieve a full ceasefire in Gaza.
Israel's proposal, consisting of three stages, would begin with a six-week phase in which Israeli forces would withdraw from all populated areas of Gaza.
It would also entail "the release of a number of hostages, including women, the elderly, the wounded, in exchange for the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners," Biden said.
Israel and the Palestinians will then negotiate during those six weeks for a permanent cease-fire - but the truce will last as long as negotiations are ongoing, Biden said.
Hamas "viewed positively" the plan laid out by Biden. | BGNES
