'Final victory' the only solution in Gaza: Netanyahu
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has rejected a Hamas proposed ceasefire Wednesday, suggesting that "there is no other solution but a complete and final victory" to the conflict in Gaza.
The Hamas proposed deal, brokered by the United States, Qatar, and Egypt, would see a ceasefire spanning nearly 4-and-a-half months and the exchange of the remaining Israeli hostages from October 7 for Palestinians detained by Israel.
An IDF tank on patrol near the Gaza-Israel border. /Amir Cohen/Reuters
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Negotiations were expected to continue in Cairo on Thursday, but Netanyahu remarked that the negotiations to be "delusional" and "bizarre."
"If Hamas will survive in Gaza, it's only a question of time until the next massacre," Netanyahu said.
Jordan's King Abdullah with Egypt's Sisi and Palestinian leader Abbas on January 10. /Chris Setian/CFP
Jordanian king begins tour to urge conflict end
Seeking to urge the international community for greater involvement in seeking an end to the conflict in Gaza, Jordan's King Abdullah announced on Thursday that he would travel to the US, Canada, France and Germany.
King Abdullah is expected to meet with his counterparts to discuss providing further support to ending the conflict spanning across his nation's western border.
Palestinians at a refugee camp near the Rafah border react to airstrike behind them. /Mohammed Salem/Reuters
Clashes rage on as death toll mounts
Clashes continued throughout the day on Wednesday, resulting in the deaths of 130 Palestinians with 170 more being injured said Gaza's health ministry.
The announcement came as the Israeli military said on Thursday that its troops killed more than 20 Palestinian militants in the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis and apprehended dozens of suspected militants over the past day.
At least 27,840 Palestinians have been killed and 67,317 wounded in Israeli strikes on Gaza since October 7.
IDF soldiers launch a surveillance drone. /Dylan Martinez/Reuters
Blinken in the Middle East
Despite Israel's rejection of the Hamas proposal, more talks are planned and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, on his fifth trip to the region since the start of the war, said he saw room for further negotiation.
In a late-night press conference in a Tel Aviv hotel on Wednesday, Blinken said elements of the proposal put forward by Hamas had contained clear "non-starters," without saying what they were.
"But we also see space in what came back to pursue negotiations, to see if we can get to an agreement. That's what we intend to do," he said.
A Hamas delegation led by senior official Khalil Al-Hayya arrived in Cairo on Thursday for ceasefire talks with Egypt and Qatar, the mediators in the latest diplomatic push.
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