Hamas Rejects Israeli Ceasefire Offer, Demands Full End to War

Middle East 09:52 18.04.2025

Hamas has formally rejected Israel's latest ceasefire offer, saying it is prepared to immediately negotiate a deal that would see the release of all remaining hostages in return for an end to the war and the release of Palestinian prisoners.In a video statement, Hamas' chief negotiator, Khalil al-Hayya, said: "We will not accept partial deals that serve Netanyahu's political agenda."

Fifty-nine hostages remain in captivity and 24 are thought to be alive. Israel's latest offer involved a 45-day ceasefire in return for the release of 10 hostages.Far-right Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said it was time "to open the gates of hell" on Hamas.

Hamas has formally rejected Israel's latest ceasefire offer, saying it is prepared to immediately negotiate a deal that would see the release of all remaining hostages in return for an end to the war and the release of Palestinian prisoners.

Fifty-nine hostages remain in captivity and 24 are thought to be alive. Israel's latest offer involved a 45-day ceasefire in return for the release of 10 hostages.Far-right Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said it was time "to open the gates of hell" on Hamas.

Hamas officials had already indicated to the BBC earlier in the week that they would reject the plan.Netanyahu and his government use partial agreements as a cover for their political agenda, which is based on continuing the war of extermination and starvation, even if the price is sacrificing all his prisoners.

He added the group was "ready to immediately negotiate a deal to swap all hostages with an agreed number of Palestinians jailed by Israel" and end the war.Hamas has previously said it would contemplate an overall deal to end the war but the two sides are nowhere near any kind of agreement that would bring that about.

Israel's stated aim is the complete disarmament and destruction of Hamas. Meanwhile dozens of Gazans are dying each day in air strikes with no humanitarian aid entering the strip at all.The latest series of Israeli strikes killed at least 37 people, the majority of them displaced civilians living in a tented camp, according to Gaza's Hamas-run civil defence agency.Witnesses in al-Mawasi said dozens of Palestinians including children had died after tents were set ablaze following a "powerful" explosion.

"I rushed outside and saw the tent next to mine engulfed in flames," a man Gaza Lifeline programme.The Israeli military did not immediately comment but said that it was looking into reports of the strikes.Israel has previously told Palestinians to evacuate from other parts of Gaza to al-Mawasi.The Israeli military said attacks over the past two days had "struck over 100 terror targets" including "terrorist cells, military structures and infrastructure sites".

Israel said there was no shortage of aid and that it was maintaining the blockade installed on 1 March to pressure Hamas to release the remaining hostages.However the heads of 12 major aid groups said the humanitarian aid system in Gaza was "facing total collapse".The war began on 7 October 2023 when Hamas carried out a cross-border attack on Israeli communities, killing around 1,200 people and seizing 251 hostages according to Israeli tallies.

Israel's military campaign against Hamas has killed at least 51,065 people, according to the territory's Hamas-run health ministry.Netanyahu and his government use partial agreements as a cover for their political agenda, which is based on continuing the war of extermination and starvation, even if the price is sacrificing all his prisoners.

He added the group was "ready to immediately negotiate a deal to swap all hostages with an agreed number of Palestinians jailed by Israel" and end the war.Hamas has previously said it would contemplate an overall deal to end the war but the two sides are nowhere near any kind of agreement that would bring that about.Israel's stated aim is the complete disarmament and destruction of Hamas. Meanwhile dozens of Gazans are dying each day in air strikes with no humanitarian aid entering the strip at all.

The latest series of Israeli strikes killed at least 37 people, the majority of them displaced civilians living in a tented camp, according to Gaza's Hamas-run civil defence agency.Witnesses in al-Mawasi said dozens of Palestinians including children had died after tents were set ablaze following a "powerful" explosion.

The Israeli military did not immediately comment but said that it was looking into reports of the strikes.Israel has previously told Palestinians to evacuate from other parts of Gaza to al-Mawasi.The Israeli military said attacks over the past two days had "struck over 100 terror targets" including "terrorist cells, military structures and infrastructure sites".
Israel said there was no shortage of aid and that it was maintaining the blockade installed on 1 March to pressure Hamas to release the remaining hostages.

However the heads of 12 major aid groups said the humanitarian aid system in Gaza was "facing total collapse".
The war began on 7 October 2023 when Hamas carried out a cross-border attack on Israeli communities, killing around 1,200 people and seizing 251 hostages according to Israeli tallies.Israel's military campaign against Hamas has killed at least 51,065 people, according to the territory's Hamas-run health ministry.

Madina Mammadova\\EDnews

IEPF issued a statement regarding Azerbaijani children at the UN Human Rights Council

News line

OpenAI is working on its own X-like social network, according to multiple sources familiar with the matter
12:21 18.04.2025
Kazakhstan extends a hand of compassion to Afghanistan through humanitarian aid
12:08 18.04.2025
The Pompidou Centre’s Bold Legacy and Future Transformation
11:59 18.04.2025
Scientists Find Promising Indication of Extraterrestrial Life
11:43 18.04.2025
WHO Members Agree on Legally Binding Pandemic Treaty to Strengthen Global Response
11:35 18.04.2025
Cosmic Map Reveals 14 Billion Years of Dark Matter’s Influence
11:28 18.04.2025
Europe’s Euclid Space Telescope Begins Mission to Unveil the Universe’s Dark Secrets
11:20 18.04.2025
Canadian Leaders Face Off in Final Debate as Trump Looms Large
11:09 18.04.2025
Weekend Travel Alert: Expect Delays at Jersey Airport and Ferry Terminals
11:04 18.04.2025
Author Reflects on 8-Year Journey of Self-Publishing Sketchbooks Despite Setbacks
10:57 18.04.2025
Over 300 Works Featured in Easter Weekend Art Exhibition
10:40 18.04.2025
Trump Sets New Port Fees to Challenge China, Boost US Shipbuilding
10:31 18.04.2025
US Dismantles Large Parts of Controversial Migrant Camp at Guantanamo Bay
10:25 18.04.2025
U.S. Airstrike Destroys Houthi Fuel Terminal in Yemen Amid Escalating Red Sea Tensions
10:18 18.04.2025
Florida State University Shooting Leaves Two Dead Suspect Hospitalized
10:11 18.04.2025
Ukraine and US Sign Minerals Deal, Eye Economic Pact and Reconstruction Fund
10:05 18.04.2025
Hamas Rejects Israeli Ceasefire Offer, Demands Full End to War
09:52 18.04.2025
Russia Seizing Thousands of Homes from Ukrainians Who Fled Mariupol
12:39 17.04.2025
Peter Dutton Clarifies: “I Believe in Climate Change” After Backlash Over Debate Remarks
12:28 17.04.2025
Empowering Small Businesses: How Visa Transform Data into Strategic Advantage
12:17 17.04.2025
The New Face of Power: Trump’s ‘Trumpant’ Gaze and the Reinvention of Political Iconography
12:11 17.04.2025
Three Centuries of American Photography: A Landmark Exhibition at the Rijksmuseum
12:03 17.04.2025
The Lebanese Plane: Mystery Jet Linked to Assad’s Inner Circle
11:49 17.04.2025
Trump Administration Deports 17 Alleged Gang Members to El Salvador Amid Legal Challenges
11:36 17.04.2025
Unveiling K2-18b: A World on the Edge of Discovery
11:22 17.04.2025
Jagmeet Singh: NDP Leader Faces Uphill Battle Ahead of Federal Election
11:13 17.04.2025
Between Two Flags: Poilievre’s Populism in the Shadow of Trump
11:01 17.04.2025
Bat roost plans at former brickworks housing site
10:51 17.04.2025
EU Proposes Fast-Track Migration Rules Amid Concerns Over Human Rights
10:46 17.04.2025
Critical Talks in Paris: U.S. and European Officials Discuss Ending the War in Ukraine
10:38 17.04.2025
The Rhythm of the Visible: Sean Scully’s Modern Abstraction
10:30 17.04.2025
US Struggles to Secure Rare Earths Amid Tensions and Limited Capacity
10:22 17.04.2025
Canadian Leaders Clash Over Trump, Tariffs, and Housing in First Debate
10:11 17.04.2025
Trump Defies Court Order in El Salvador Deportation Dispute
10:02 17.04.2025
Trump Revokes Biden’s Security Clearance, Citing Precedent Set in 2021
13:18 16.04.2025
Is Canada a Part of the United Kingdom?
13:10 16.04.2025
In the Footsteps of Egeria: Jordan’s Forgotten Pilgrimage Trail
13:01 16.04.2025
The Magical Moment of the Dolomites: Peaks Bathed in Pink by the Enrosadira
12:53 16.04.2025
Cair Vie Wind Farm: Balancing Renewable Energy with Wildlife Protection
12:47 16.04.2025
Israel to Intensify Military Offensive Across Gaza
12:40 16.04.2025
Hamısı