Hamas rejects Israeli two-month cease-fire proposal, prisoner swap over demand for leadership’s end

close Video

Fox News Flash top headlines for January 24

Fox News Flash top headlines are here. Check out what’s clicking on Foxnews.com.

Join Fox News for access to this content Plus get unlimited access to thousands of articles, videos and more with your free account! Please enter a valid email address. By entering your email, you are agreeing to Fox News Terms of Service and Privacy Policy, which includes our Notice of Financial Incentive. To access the content, check your email and follow the instructions provided.

The Israeli government and Hamas leadership are at a stalemate as both claim to want a cease-fire to facilitate a prisoner swap but cannot agree to conditions.

Both Israeli and Hamas leaders have expressed a desire to pause ongoing violence to allow an exchange, but the finer points of an agreement are proving difficult to resolve.

Hamas has turned down Israeli offers for a long-term cease-fire, rejecting the Jewish state’s condition that top Hamas commanders leave the Gaza Strip for foreign exile.

EDUCATORS URGE LARGEST TEACHERS UNION IN US TO RESCIND SUPPORT FOR BIDEN UNTIL ‘PERMANENT CEASE-FIRE’ IN GAZA

Smoke billows over Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip during an Israeli bombardment.  (AFP via Getty Images)

U.S., Qatari and Egyptian mediators have sought to negotiate terms for a month-long cease-fire with a staggered exchange, beginning with civilians and eventually leading to the release of soldiers.

Hamas has largely refused to agree to any conditions that do not include plans for a permanent end to violence in the region.

“We are engaging in serious discussions with both sides,” said Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesman Majed Al Ansari during a press conference this week. “We have presented ideas to both sides. We are getting a constant stream of replies from both sides and that, in its own right, is a cause for optimism.”

NETANYAHU IMMEDIATELY VOWS RETRIBUTION AFTER HAMAS KILLS 21 ISRAELI SOLDIERS IN CENTRAL GAZA

An Israeli mobile artillery unit fires a shell from northern Israel toward Lebanon. (AP/Leo Correa)

An attack on Israel’s forces in the Gaza Strip on Monday left 21 soldiers dead, its military said Tuesday. The attack was the deadliest for Israeli troops since the Hamas-led massacre on Oct. 7 that triggered the war.

According to the Israeli military, reservists were preparing explosives to demolish two buildings in central Gaza when a militant fired a rocket-propelled grenade at a tank nearby. 

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Hamas terrorists take part in a military parade to mark the anniversary of the 2014 war with Israel, in the central Gaza Strip. (Majdi Fathi/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

The blast from the rocket outside the buildings triggered the explosives inside them, causing both two-story buildings to collapse on the soldiers.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu mourned the loss of the soldiers, saying Monday was “one of the hardest days” since the war began.

Fox News Digital’s Lawrence Richard contributed to this report.

Timothy Nerozzi is a writer for Fox News Digital. You can follow him on Twitter @timothynerozzi and can email him at timothy.nerozzi@fox.com