Netanyahu says ceasefire deal with Hamas still not reached

Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office says ceasefire deal with Hamas has still not been reached and that the final details were still being sorted out.

The announcement comes after multiple mediators had said Israel and Hamas agreed to a ceasefire in Gaza and the release dozens of hostages after more than 15 months of war.

In the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis large crowds of joyful Palestinians have taken to the streets, with people cheering and honking car horns.

Any deal is expected to pause the fighting and bring hopes for winding down the most deadly and destructive war Israel and Hamas have ever fought, a conflict that has destabilised the Middle East and sparked worldwide protests.

Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza began on October 7, 2023, when militants stormed into southern Israel and killed about 1,200 people and abducted around 250.

A third of the 100 hostages still held in Gaza are believed to be dead.

The Israel Hamas-war has killed more than 46,000 Palestinians in Gaza, according to health authorities there.

The Health Ministry does not distinguish between fighters and civilians, but says women and children make up more than half the fatalities.

Published: 15/01/2025 by Radio NewsHub