Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US President Donald Trump have appeared to abandon Gaza ceasefire negotiations with Hamas, both saying it had become clear that the Palestinian militants did not want a deal, Reuters reports.

Netanyahu said Israel was now mulling “alternative” options to achieve its goals of bringing its hostages home from Gaza and ending Hamas rule in the enclave, where starvation is spreading and most of the population is homeless amid widespread ruin.

Trump said he believed Hamas leaders would now be “hunted down”, telling reporters at the White House: “Hamas really didn’t want to make a deal. I think they want to die. And it’s very bad. And it got to be to a point where you’re going to have to finish the job.”

The remarks appeared to leave little to no room, at least in the short term, to resume negotiations to pause the fighting, at a time when international concern is mounting over worsening hunger in conflict-battered Gaza.

Trump dismissed Macron’s move. “What he says doesn’t matter,” he told reporters at the White House. “He’s a very good guy. I like him, but that statement doesn’t carry weight.”

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