"Netanyahu Vows to Fight Until Absolute Victory, Rejects Hamas Cease-Fire Demands"

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejects Hamas' cease-fire and hostage-release terms as "delusional" and vows to fight until achieving "absolute victory," ruling out any arrangement that leaves Hamas in control of any part of Gaza. The U.S. secretary of state, Antony Blinken, is working to bridge the gap between Israel and Hamas on terms for a deal, while also pushing for a larger postwar settlement involving Saudi Arabia and the establishment of a Palestinian state. The deadliest round of fighting in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has killed over 27,000 Palestinians, with Iran-backed militant groups conducting attacks in solidarity with the Palestinians, drawing reprisals and raising the risk of a wider conflict.