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Ceasefire talks between Hamas and Israel have reportedly broken down, with little hope for resolution visible as of Sunday.  

 Held in Cairo with the mediation of Egyptian, the US, and Qatari representatives, the talks saw Hamas negotiators demanding that any ceasefire agreement must terminate the ongoing war. Meanwhile, Israeli representatives were absent from the talks, aligning with Netanyahu’s reiterated stance of permanently eliminating Hamas to safeguard Israel’s future security. Netanyahu has expressed willingness to pause the fighting if it would help secure the release of more than 130 hostages.

Despite this, Netanyahu emphasized that Israel cannot accept Hamas’s conditions, which include a full military withdrawal from Gaza and an end to the hostilities while leaving Hamas in control.  

Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant suggested that the lack of progress could soon result in intensified military operations in Gaza, particularly targeting Rafah.

 On the other side, Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh continued to advocate for a complete ceasefire that would end Israeli aggression and lead to mutual prisoner releases. He accused Netanyahu of perpetuating the conflict and undermining mediation efforts.