Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has rejected ceasefire proposals because he says Hamas’s call for a withdrawal of all troops from Gaza and an end to the war is unacceptable.
Mr Netanyahu said agreeing to such proposals would “leave Hamas intact” and leave the possibility of another attack in future.
“Surrendering to the demands of Hamas would be a terrible defeat for the State of Israel,” he said in a video statement.
Mediated negotiations for a pause in the fighting in return for the release of hostages held by Hamas have been going on in Egypt, but a deal still appears some way off.
Mr Netanyahu added: “While Hamas remains entrenched in its extreme positions, first among them the demand to remove all our forces from the Gaza Strip, end the war, and leave Hamas in power.”
He said it would allow more “massacres, rapes and kidnapping”.
Hamas said in a statement on Sunday it’s “still keen to reach a comprehensive, interconnected agreement that ends the aggression, guarantees withdrawal, and achieves a serious prisoner exchange deal”.
The impasse comes after Egyptian media reported “noticeable progress” in ceasefire talks on Saturday.
The proposal mediators had put to Hamas set out a three-stage process for an immediate, six-week ceasefire and partial release of Israeli hostages, with some sort of Israeli pull-out in exchange.
Mr Netanyahu also said on Sunday his government had voted to close the local office of Qatar-owned broadcaster Al Jazeera.
“Al Jazeera reporters harmed Israel’s security and incited against soldiers,” Mr Netanyahu said. “It’s time to remove the Hamas mouthpiece from our country.”
More than 34,600 Palestinians have been killed and more than 77,000 have been wounded in Israel’s military operation, according to Gaza’s health ministry.
Israel has said it remains committed to a ground offensive in the southern city of Rafah, where more than a million have fled in search of safety, as it tries to wipe out Hamas.
The UN and others have warned of catastrophe if it goes ahead.
The war began in October after Hamas killed about 1,200 people, according to Israeli figures, when it launched a surprise attack.
More than 200 were abducted and many remain as hostages, while others are thought to have died.
