Netanyahu Vows to Eradicate Hamas Amid Ceasefire Talks Mediated by Qatar and Egypt

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday reiterated his pledge to eradicate Hamas, even as the Palestinian militant group said it was reviewing new ceasefire proposals put forward by mediators from Qatar and Egypt.

Netanyahu’s remarks came as US President Donald Trump claimed that Israel had agreed to a 60-day ceasefire deal — a claim Netanyahu has yet to publicly address. The Israeli leader is scheduled to meet Trump in Washington next week.

“Hamas will be destroyed — down to its very foundation,” Netanyahu declared in a video message from Ashkelon, near Gaza’s northern border. “We will free all our hostages, and Hamas will be no more.”

Meanwhile, Hamas said it was holding “national consultations” to assess the latest proposal, which reportedly includes a 60-day truce during which the group would release half of the remaining Israeli hostages in exchange for the release of Palestinian prisoners.

A Palestinian official familiar with the negotiations said the terms were largely unchanged from previous proposals, which have so far failed to produce a breakthrough. Out of 251 hostages taken during Hamas’s October 2023 attack on Israel, 49 remain in Gaza — including 27 confirmed dead, according to the Israeli military.

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said there were “some positive signs” in the ongoing efforts and expressed hope for renewed proximity talks. “We are serious in our will to reach a hostage deal and a ceasefire,” he stated.

The humanitarian situation in Gaza continues to worsen as Israel expands its military operations nearly 21 months into the conflict. According to Gaza’s civil defense agency, Israeli strikes on Wednesday killed at least 47 people, including Marwan Al-Sultan, the director of the Indonesian Hospital in northern Gaza.

In southern Gaza, five members of a displaced family were reportedly killed when an Israeli airstrike hit their tent in Al-Mawasi — a zone previously designated as “safe” by Israel. Scenes of devastation were captured by AFP, with residents searching through rubble and bloodied children rushed into hospitals in nearby Khan Yunis.

Further fatalities were reported near aid distribution points in Rafah and central Gaza, where Israeli fire killed at least six more people, according to local rescue services. Israel’s military stated it was targeting Hamas infrastructure and said operations were conducted in accordance with international law while attempting to minimize civilian harm.

One Israeli soldier, a 19-year-old sergeant, was reported killed in northern Gaza combat. The military also issued new evacuation warnings for neighborhoods in Gaza City, urging residents to move south amid intensified operations.

“We will continue to dismantle terrorist organizations, and our campaign will expand into the city center,” said Israeli military spokesperson Avichay Adraee.

Israel’s offensive was launched in response to Hamas’s October 7 assault that killed 1,219 people, mostly civilians, according to Israeli figures. Since then, at least 57,012 people — the vast majority civilians — have died in Gaza, according to the Hamas-run health ministry. The United Nations continues to treat those figures as credible amid restricted media access to the territory.