Israel PM: No ceasefire in Gaza until Hamas is ’destroyed’

Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Saturday that the cease-fire plan for Gaza outlined by the U.S. would still require the annihilation of Hamas.

Netanyahu said in a statement that "Israel’s conditions for ending the war have not changed: the destruction of Hamas military and governing capabilities, the freeing of all hostages and ensuring that Gaza no longer poses a threat to Israel."

The statement also said that "the notion that Israel will agree to a permanent cease-fire before these conditions are fulfilled is a non-starter."

The reaction comes a day after U.S. President Joe Biden unveiled a new three-phase cease-fire proposal that he said Israel has offered Hamas, which would lead to the release of all hostages and a permanent end to fighting.

The first phase of the proposal would last six weeks and include a “complete” cease-fire, a withdrawal of Israel forces from all populated areas in the Gaza Strip, the exchange of a number of Israeli hostages for Palestinian prisoners, and the return of the bodies of Israelis killed by Hamas, Biden said.

While outlining the proposal, Biden said that Hamas no longer posed a risk to Israel as its military capabilities had been decimated by Israeli forces since October.

The international community has welcomed the prospect of a suspension of hostilities, with U.N. Secretary General António Guterres encouraging "all parties to seize the opportunity for a cease-fire," and French President Emmanuel Macron calling for a "durable peace" in the region.

In a statement reported by Reuters, Hamas declared its readiness to "deal positively and in a constructive manner" with any proposal that would involve the full withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Gaza Strip.