Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, in an interview with NDTV, stated bluntly, "Hamas will not release all the hostages, which is the only asset they still hold" unless it is guaranteed that the war is finished.

While UN and European officials hope that a cease-fire deal would help ease suffering among the Strip’s population, Israelis worry that as in the

Netanyahu said his meeting with Trump focused on freeing hostages in Gaza, and stressed his determination to "eliminate" the capabilities of Hamas.

It was not immediately clear whether the group was demanding any significant changes to the plan for a 60-day truce, hostage-for-prisoner swaps and talks on a permanent end to the Gaza war.

President Donald Trump has ramped up expectations around a possible 60-day ceasefire in the war in Gaza after he said Thursday that a response from Hamas was expected within the next day.

Hamas has voiced strong opposition to any potential ceasefire deal that allows Israeli troops to remain stationed in buffer zones within Gaza, denouncing

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Trump's meetings with the Israeli leader have brought no apparent breakthrough for a ceasefire in Gaza, where the bloodshed continues unabated.