Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on February 7 rejected a proposal for a Gaza war truce by Hamas, saying victory was within reach and only total defeat of the movement that rules the blockaded strip would ensure Israel's security.
"We are on the path to total victory. Victory is within reach," he said at a televised press briefing, adding that triumph was months away. "Only total victory will allow us to restore security in Israel, both in the north and in the south." The Israeli premier was speaking a day after Hamas said it had delivered its response to a proposed ceasefire deal for Gaza drawn up by U.S. and Israeli spy chiefs and delivered to Hamas last week by Qatari and Egyptian mediators.
Hamas's response offered a ceasefire in Gaza for four-and-a-half months, during which all hostages would be released, Israel would withdraw its forces from the Gaza Strip, and an agreement would be reached on an end to the war.
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