War isn’t close to finished: Netanyahu

Cairo: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says Israel will expand its Gaza ground offensive in the coming days despite international efforts to halt the fighting.

Speaking to members of his Likud Party on Monday, Netanyahu said the war “isn’t close to finished.”

Netanyahu spoke after returning from a visit to troops fighting inside Gaza. The comments come as Egypt is floating an ambitious proposal to end the Israel-Hamas war.

“We are not stopping. We are continuing to fight and we are expanding the fight in the coming days,” Netanyahu said. “The will be a long battle and it isn’t close to finished.”

Meanwhile, Egypt has put forward an ambitious, initial proposal to end the Israel-Hamas war with a cease-fire, a phased hostage release and the creation of a Palestinian government of experts who would administer the Gaza

Strip and occupied West Bank, a senior Egyptian official and a European diplomat said on Monday.

The proposal, worked out with the Gulf nation of Qatar, has been presented to Israel, Hamas, the United States and European governments but still appeared preliminary.