Israeli Prime Minister says Hamas rejects deal to return half of living hostages

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Saturday evening that Hamas had rejected a proposal for the return of half of the living hostages in Gaza by demanding the end of the war and an Israeli military retreat from Gaza.

In the statement, the Israeli prime minister also dismissed the idea that Israel could deceive Hamas into freeing all the hostages and then resume the war, arguing that the international community would not accept such a move. 

Earlier in the day, the Al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas, released a new video showing an Israeli hostage held in Gaza. Meanwhile, Israel's military operation has been continuing in Gaza. The Israel Defense Forces said in a statement that its armored forces killed more than 40 Hamas militants in the Rafah area, southern Gaza Strip, over the weekend.