Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Thursday that Israel was ready to negotiate a permanent ceasefire in Gaza during a 60-day truce but only if the Palestinian territory was demilitarised.
Delegations from Israel and Hamas began indirect talks in Doha on Sunday to try to agree a temporary halt in the war, which was sparked by the militant group’s October 2023 attack.
US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff has proposed a 60-day ceasefire in exchange for the release of half of the 20 living hostages still in Gaza, Netanyahu said on Wednesday.
“At the beginning of this ceasefire, we will enter negotiations for a permanent end to the war,” he said in a video message from Washington on Thursday.
He said Israel’s “fundamental conditions” were that “Hamas lays down its weapons” and no longer has “governing or military capabilities”.
“If this can be achieved through negotiations, great. If it cannot be achieved through negotiations within 60 days, we will achieve it through other means, by using force, the force of our heroic army,” he said.
Hamas said on Wednesday it had agreed to release 10 living hostages but on Thursday it said it opposed a deal that includes a large Israeli military presence in Gaza.
It also wants the free flow of aid into the territory to ease a humanitarian crisis, and “real guarantees” for a lasting peace.
The Israeli premier called Hamas “a ruthless terror organisation” and said he wanted the release of all those being held.
But he added: “We will do everything in order to maximise (the number of those released) in this round, in the best way possible. Not everything is in our hands.”
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