International

Gaza ceasefire: Israel's PM Benjamin Netanyahu rejects Hamas's proposed terms

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has rejected Hamas's proposed ceasefire terms - saying "total victory" in Gaza is possible within months, BBC reports

He was speaking after Hamas laid out a series of demands in response to an Israel-backed ceasefire proposal.

Mr Netanyahu said negotiations with the group were "not going anywhere" and described their terms as "bizarre".

Talks are continuing to try to reach some sort of deal.

"There is no other solution but a complete and final victory," Mr Netanyahu told a news conference on Wednesday.

"If Hamas will survive in Gaza, it's only a question of time until the next massacre."

Israel was expected to take issue with Hamas's counter-offer, but this response is a categorical rebuke, and Israeli officials clearly see an effort by Hamas to end the war on its terms as utterly unacceptable.

Senior Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri told the Reuters news agency that Mr Netanyahu's remarks "are a form of political bravado", and show he intends to pursue the conflict in the region.

Read more