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Israel's far-right National Security Minister demanded Friday that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu abandon negotiations and launch an all-out assault on Hamas, after Hamas rejected the latest U.S.-backed cease-fire proposal.
Itamar Ben Gvir's public ultimatum came as nearly 20 months of war showed no signs of abating, with diplomatic efforts repeatedly failing to secure a lasting truce between Israel and Hamas.
"Mr. Prime Minister, after Hamas rejected the deal proposal again -- there are no more excuses," Ben Gvir wrote on his Telegram channel. "The confusion, the shuffling and the weakness must end. We have already missed too many opportunities. It is time to go in with full force, without blinking, to destroy, and kill Hamas to the last one."
The White House announced Thursday that President Donald Trump and U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff had "submitted a ceasefire proposal to Hamas that Israel backed." Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said discussions were "continuing" with Hamas, though Israel has not publicly confirmed its approval of the new proposal.
Hamas political bureau member Bassem Naim rejected the latest version Thursday, saying it meant "the continuation of killing and famine... and does not meet any of our people's demands, foremost among them halting the war." However, he added that "the movement's leadership is studying the response to the proposal with full national responsibility."
A source close to Hamas described the new version as "a retreat" from the previous proposal, which "included an American commitment regarding permanent ceasefire negotiations."
According to sources close to the negotiations, the dispute centers on the terms and timeline of prisoner exchanges. The new proposal calls for a 60-day truce, potentially extendable to 70 days, with the release of five living hostages and nine bodies in exchange for Palestinian prisoners during the first week, followed by a second exchange of the same numbers in the second week.
Hamas had reportedly agreed last week to two exchanges on similar terms, but preferred one during the first week of the truce and another during the final week.
Of the 251 hostages seized during Hamas's October 2023 attack, 57 remain in Gaza, including 34 the Israeli military says are dead.
The humanitarian situation in Gaza remains dire despite aid beginning to trickle in after a more than two-month Israeli blockade. Food security experts say starvation is looming for one in five people, while medical facilities have come under increasing strain and repeated attack.
French President Emmanuel Macron said Friday that European countries should "harden the collective position" against Israel if it does not respond appropriately to the humanitarian situation in Gaza. With international pressure mounting over the deepening hunger crisis, Macron said action was needed "in the next few hours and days."
The Hamas-run Gaza health ministry reported Thursday that at least 3,986 people had been killed since Israel resumed major operations on March 18, bringing the war's overall toll to 54,249, mostly civilians. Hamas's attack on Israel resulted in the deaths of 1,218 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official figures.
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