In a televised address, Benjamin Netanyahu once more rejected Hamas's demands for a definitive end to the war in Gaza, saying that any permanent ceasefire would allow the group to remain in power and pose a continuing threat to Israel.
Speaking a day after thousands of people again rallied in Tel Aviv demanding a deal to free the remaining Israeli captives, Netanyahu also said his government had "been working around the clock to formulate an agreement that would return our hostages".
Hours later, Israel's defence minister, Yoav Gallant, said Hamas did not appear to be serious about reaching a ceasefire deal. If a deal was not reached, he added, that would lead Israel to launch an often-threatened offensive into Rafah, a reported Hamas stronghold where about a million people displaced from elsewhere in Gaza have sought shelter, "in the very near future".
The statements by Netanyahu and Gallant may dash recent hopes that Hamas and Israel are close to a deal to bring about an initial 40-day pause to hostilities and the release of dozens of hostages.
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