Hamas rejected an Israeli offer to stop fighting for one week in exchange for dozens of hostages, The Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday, citing Egyptian officials.
According to the report Hamas said it wouldn’t discuss releasing Israeli hostages until a ceasefire first goes into effect.
In the offer rejected by Hamas, Israel sought the release of 40 hostages, including all the remaining women and children abducted from Israel during the October 7 attack and elderly male hostages who need urgent medical treatment, the Egyptian officials said.
In return, the IDF would have paused its ground and air operations in Gaza for a week and allow further humanitarian aid to enter Gaza, the officials added.
Earlier on Wednesday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and President Joe Biden both said that there is still no deal between Israel and Hamas on the table. Blinken stated that this is a move "that we would very much like to see happen."
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu published a declaration which included a message for the Hamas terror organization.
"We are continuing the war to the end. It will continue until the elimination of Hamas - until victory. Whoever thinks we will stop is not connected to reality. We will not stop the fighting until we reach the goals we set: the elimination of Hamas, the release of the hostages, and the removal of the threat from Gaza," the Prime Minister declared.
"We are striking Hamas with fire - an inferno. Everywhere - today included. We are also hitting their accomplices from close and from afar," he added.
"All Hamas terrorists, from the first to the last, are dead men walking. They only have two options: surrender or die," Netanyahu concluded.
Netanyahu was responding to a Washington Post report which said that Israel is considering a two-week ceasefire.
According to the report, the purpose of this ceasefire would be to enable Hamas to collect all hostages from around Gaza and release several dozens of them.
Journalist David Ignatius said that Israel might commit to pulling back its forces after this ceasefire, and conduct more pinpointed attacks, mostly in northern Gaza.