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@News24Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday vowed to eradicate Hamas, even as the Palestinian militant group said it was discussing new proposals from mediators for a ceasefire in Gaza.
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Netanyahu Vows to Eradicate Hamas, Clouding U.S. Ceasefire Plan
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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed on Wednesday that Israel will "eliminate Hamas down to its roots," declaring "there will not be a Hamastan" in post-war Gaza. The remarks, delivered during a visit to the southern city of Ashkelon, were his first public comments since U.S. President Donald Trump said Israel had accepted a 60-day cease-fire outline for Gaza.
Netanyahu said Israel would continue military operations until Hamas is destroyed and all remaining hostages are freed, signaling that the government is not prepared to pause the fighting while the Islamist group retains any control of the territory. "We’re not going back to that. It’s over," he insisted.
His stance casts doubt on the U.S.-brokered plan announced a day earlier. Trump had urged Hamas to endorse what he called a "final proposal" negotiated with Egyptian and Qatari mediation. Hamas said it is still reviewing the offer, which reportedly includes a truce and a phased prisoner-hostage exchange.
The conflict, now in its 21st month, has killed about 57,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s health ministry, and 1,219 people in Israel since Hamas’s 7 October 2023 attacks. Israeli authorities say 49 hostages remain in Gaza, 27 of them presumed dead.
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