The pressure was intensifying for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to cut a cease-fire deal and gain freedom for scores of hostages, even as Hamas leaders remained emphatic Tuesday that any agreement must include a permanent cease-fire across the entire Gaza Strip.
The Hamas conditions would cut against Netanyahu's repeated pledge not to end the war until Hamas is crushed. But his government on Monday confirmed the deaths of four more hostages, fueling protests and angst among the loved ones of those still held captive. The government says more than a third of hostages − 43 of the 124 − are now confirmed dead.
"With every day that passes, more and more hostages die in captivity," the International Red Cross warned Tuesday on social media. "This loss of human life is not inevitable. All hostages must be released immediately and unconditionally."
Hamas political official Osama Hamdan said Tuesday that the militants could not agree to a deal that does not secure "complete withdrawal" of Israeli troops from Gaza. And Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri blasted Washington and the West for pressuring the group to accept an Israeli proposal unveiled by President Joe Biden last week "as if it is Hamas who is hampering the deal."
Delegations from the U.S., Egypt and Qatar planned to meet Wednesday in Doha in an effort to revive truce negotiations, Egyptian media reported. President Joe Biden is sending Middle East envoy Brett McGurk to the region this week to seek a pact, Reuters reported.
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