Israel says it is serious about reaching Gaza ceasefire

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TALLINN:  Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said on Wednesday that his country was serious about reaching a deal with the Palestinian Hamas group to end the war in Gaza and return the hostages held there to Israel.

US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that Israel had accepted the conditions needed to finalise a 60-day ceasefire with Hamas after what he called a “long and productive” meeting of his representatives with Israeli officials.

At a press conference in the Estonian capital Tallinn, Saar said: “We are serious in our will to reach a hostage deal and a ceasefire. We said yes to (US) special envoy (Steve) Witkoff’s proposals.”

“There are some positive signs. I don’t want to say more than that right now. But our goal is to begin proximity talks as soon as possible,” said Saar, who spoke after holding talks with Estonia’s Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna.

“But it must be clear: Hamas is not only responsible for initiating this war on October 7 (2023). It is responsible also for its continuation. Pressure must be applied on Hamas. The international community must now back the American initiatives. It must shatter any illusions that Hamas may have,” he said.

‘THERE WILL BE NO HAMAS’

Earlier in the day, Hamas said it was studying what Trump called a “final” ceasefire proposal for Gaza but that Israel must pull out of the enclave, while Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu said Hamas would be eliminated.

In a statement, Hamas said it was studying new ceasefire offers it received from the mediators Egypt and Qatar but stressed it aimed to reach an agreement that would ensure an end to the war and an Israeli pullout from Gaza.

However, Netanyahu called for the elimination of Hamas in his first public remarks since Trump’s announcement.

“There will not be a Hamas. There will not be a Hamastan. We’re not going back to that. It’s over,” Netanyahu told a meeting hosted by the Trans-Israel pipeline.