RAFAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Hamas has rejected the latest proposal put forward by international mediators for a cease-fire and hostage release, and Israel has blasted a U.N. Security Council resolution that called for both without linking them.
As the war in Gaza grinds through a sixth month, each side has publicly insisted that its own idea of victory is in reach, and late Monday they rejected the latest international efforts to stem the bloodshed.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said Israel can achieve its aims of dismantling Hamas and returning scores of hostages if it expands its ground offensive to the southern city of Rafah, where over half of Gaza's population has sought refuge, many in crowded tent camps.