JERUSALEM

Israel’s war on the Gaza Strip will end with the surrender of Hamas leaders and the return of hostages, an Israeli spokesman said on Thursday.

“The war in Gaza can end on the condition that Hamas leaders surrender themselves to the Israeli army and the prisoners are returned,” Ofir Gendelman, a spokesman for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, told reporters.

The Israeli spokesman said army forces are advancing in the southern Gaza Strip.

“Our forces besieged the house of [Hamas leader in Gaza] Yahya Sinwar [in Khan Younis] and the mission of our forces is to arrest him as soon as possible,” he added.

Gendelman rejected a call by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres for a cease-fire in Gaza.

“This call for a cease-fire now is tantamount to a call to keep Hamas in power in Gaza. We categorically reject that,” he added.

Israel resumed its military offensive on the Gaza Strip on Dec. 1 after the end of a weeklong humanitarian pause with Hamas.

At least 17,177 Palestinians have been killed and more than 46,000 others injured in relentless air and ground attacks on the enclave since Oct. 7 following a cross-border attack by Hamas.

The Israeli death toll in the Hamas attack stood at 1,200, while 138 hostages are still held by the Palestinian group in Gaza, according to official figures.

*Writing by Ahmed Asmar