Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday said his government is ready to talk about a lasting ceasefire with Hamas once a temporary truce begins.
He said Hamas must first give up its weapons and control of Gaza, warning that if no deal is reached on Israel's terms, the fighting will continue.
His comments came as Gaza's civil defence agency said eight children were among 66 people killed in Israeli strikes on Thursday while they were waiting for food outside a health clinic.
The UN children's agency said one of the victims was a one-year-old boy who, according to his mother, had spoken his first words just hours earlier.
Netanyahu’s talks with US President Donald Trump in Washington have focused on efforts to secure a 60-day pause in the 21-month war.
Indirect talks between the two sides have been underway in Qatar, with the militants agreeing to release 10 of the 20 hostages still alive since the October 7, 2023 attack that triggered the war.
Key sticking points remain, including Hamas’s demand for unrestricted aid into Gaza and a full Israeli military withdrawal from the territory. The group also said it wants “real guarantees” on a lasting peace.
Netanyahu, under pressure at home as military casualties mount, said that disarming and neutralising Hamas were “fundamental conditions” for Israel.
{{/usCountry}}Netanyahu, under pressure at home as military casualties mount, said that disarming and neutralising Hamas were “fundamental conditions” for Israel.
{{/usCountry}}“If this can be achieved through negotiations, great. If it cannot be achieved through negotiations within 60 days, we will have to achieve it through other means, by using... the force of our heroic army,” AFP quoted him as saying
‘Occupation of our land’: Hamas opposes Israeli control over Rafah
Senior Hamas official Bassem Naim told AFP the group would not accept “the perpetuation of the occupation of our land” or Palestinians being forced into “isolated enclaves” in Gaza.
He added that Hamas particularly opposed Israeli control over Rafah, on the Egyptian border, and the Morag Corridor between Rafah and Khan Yunis.
Earlier this year, Israel said its army was seizing large areas of Gaza to create buffer zones cleared of residents.
Naim also criticised the current aid delivery system backed by the US and Israel, saying it had resulted in the deaths of people trying to collect food rations.
With AFP inputs