Netanyahu says Gaza truce could be agreed ‘within days’ but Israel is prepared to resume war

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said that a truce could be agreed "within a few days," even as Israel continued with its deadly strikes on the Gaza Strip.

In his remarks, Netanyahu stressed that Israel is prepared to return to fighting after a ceasefire "if Hamas is not disarmed and dismantled within 60 days".

Pressure is mounting on Netanyahu to agree to a deal that would free remaining Israeli captives held in Gaza. There are believed to be 50 captives in the Gaza Strip, with only 20 thought to be alive.

In an interview on Thursday, Netanyahu reiterated that he would "try to negotiate an end" to the war "if Hamas lays down its arms".

Israeli media also reported on Thursday evening that Netanyahu spoke to the families of captives, informing them that a "comprehensive deal" could not yet be reached.

The remark came just after Netanyahu’s meeting in Washington with US President Donald Trump. Following the meeting, Netanyahu said: "Israel has never had such a friend or such a support for the Jewish state in the White House".

'Morag axis' stalling deal

Israeli media have reported that there is a single issue stalling the deal - Israel's refusal to withdraw from what it calls the 'Morag axis', an area in the southwest of the Gaza Strip.

Israel has said that its forces would remain in the area in the event of any truce. 

An Israeli official was quoted as saying that this single issue could delay the agreement by an additional 20 days.

Hamas has previously hit back at truce claims made by Netanyahu, stating he "places obstacles in the way of reaching an agreement that would lead to the release of prisoners and the cessation of the aggression against our Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip".

Hamas this week announced that it has agreed to release 10 Israeli captives in an effort to push for a deal being agreed but said that Israel was making negotiations in Qatar "tough" due to its "intransigence".

Despite continued Israeli bombardment and stalling, Hamas said they will continue their "positive and responsible approach to negotiations to try to reach an agreement that leads to the end of the aggression, the withdrawal of the Israeli army and the unimpeded flow of aid so that people can rebuild and live with dignity".

Relentless Israeli attacks on civilians continue

Despite talk of a ceasefire, Israel continues to kill civilians in Gaza, targeting schools, displacement shelters, hospitals, and aid distribution sites.

Early on Friday, dozens of people were wounded after Israeli forces bombed the tents of displaced civilians sheltering east of the Ghaith camp in the Mawasi area in the south of the enclave.

At least eight others were killed in an Israeli attack on a school in Jabalia, north Gaza, medical sources in Gaza’s al-Shifa Hospital said.

Israeli shelling also targeted the al-Saftawi neighbourhood in northwest Gaza City.

Civilians were also reported wounded in the al-Zaytoun neighbourhood after an Israeli quadcopter drone dropped bombs on the area.

The humanitarian situation in Gaza continues to deteriorate, with UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric stating that 75,000 litres of fuel entered Gaza, noting that this amount "is not even enough to cover one day’s worth of electricity needs".

Israel’s war on Gaza has killed over 61,700 Palestinians since October 2023. The war has plunged the Strip into a deep humanitarian crisis and has been determined to be a genocide by Amnesty International.