Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that more pressure should be put on Hamas to accept a new Gaza deal proposal, after the Palestinian group said it was only willing to implement a ceasefire free of new conditions, Reuters reports.

The chief US negotiator, CIA head William Burns, said on Saturday that a more detailed ceasefire proposal would be made within several days.

On Wednesday, Hamas’ negotiation team met the Qatari and Egyptian mediators in Doha and reiterated their readiness to implement an “immediate” ceasefire with Israel in Gaza based on a previous US proposal without new conditions from any party, the group said in a statement.

“Hamas is trying to hide the fact that it continues to oppose a hostage release deal, and is obstructing it,” Netanyahu said in a statement.

He said Israel had accepted the most recent proposal, while “Hamas rejected it and even murdered six of our hostages in cold blood. The world must demand that Hamas free our hostages immediately,” Netanyahu said.

Opinion

Geopolitical shift in ME

Geopolitical shift in ME

A prolonged conflict will have far-reaching implications for regional geopolitics, sharpening the divisions among Gulf countries that are directly affected by the tensions.

Editorial

Unyielding stances
Updated 13 May, 2026

Unyielding stances

Every day that passes without clarity on how and when the war will end introduces fresh intensity to the uncertainty roiling global markets and adds to the economic turmoil the world must bear because of it.
Gwadar rising?
13 May, 2026

Gwadar rising?

COULD the Middle East conflict prove to be a boon for the Gwadar port? Islamabad’s push to position Gwadar as a...
Locked in
13 May, 2026

Locked in

THE acquittal of as many as 74 PTI activists by a Peshawar court in a case pertaining to the May 2023 violence is a...
Bannu attack
Updated 12 May, 2026

Bannu attack

The security narrative and strategy of the KP government diverges considerably from the state’s position.
Cotton crisis
12 May, 2026

Cotton crisis

PAKISTAN’S cotton economy is once again facing a crisis that exposes the country’s flawed agricultural and...
Buddhist heritage
12 May, 2026

Buddhist heritage

THE revival of Buddhist chants at the ancient Dharmarajika Stupa in Taxila after nearly 1,500 years is much more ...