Hamas says it is ready for a six-week truce in the fighting in the Gaza Strip. 42 hostages could be released in exchange for 20 to 50 Palestinian prisoners.
According to Israel, 130 hostages are still held in Gaza, of whom 32 are believed to have died. The Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, promised to continue the war until the elimination of Hamas. He announced an upcoming offensive against the town of Rafah, where there are massed, according to the UN, approximately one and a half million Palestinians.