Israel and Hamas are still far apart on a peace agreement, according to a statement from the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
“The reports about a deal are not correct and include conditions that are not acceptable to Israel,” the statement said, according to Israeli press reports.
“We are continuing until total victory,” the statement said.
Yesterday, senior officials ended an “intelligence summit” trying to arrange a peace proposal.
CIA Director Bill Burns, Mossad Director David Barnea, Shin Bet Director Ronen Bar, Israeli Army Maj. Gen Nitzan Alon, the Prime Minister of Qatar and Egypt’s head of Intelligence concluded a meeting in Paris that Netanyahu described as “constructive.”
“There are still significant gaps which the sides will continue to discuss at additional mutual meetings to be held this week,” he said in a post on X on Sunday.
Israel has repeated that it will not end the fighting until Hamas is no longer a political or military force in Gaza, while Hamas says it will not release the 100-plus Israeli hostages still alive in Gaza unless Israel agrees to a permanent ceasefire.
Israel’s Channel 12 reported that the framework for an agreement was in place that would include a 45-day pause in fighting in exchange for 35 hostages in the first phase. Some 100-250 Palestinian security prisoners would be released for each Israeli sent home, according to the report.
NBC News also reported a similar framework was in place, though it had not yet been presented to Hamas.