Netanyahu vows to continue Israeli operations in Gaza as Egypt proposes ceasefire

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday vowed to continue operations in the Gaza Strip following Egypt's proposed ceasefire plan between Israel and Hamas.

Working with Qatar, Egypt presented a preliminary plan to Israel, Hamas, the United States and European governments, but it does not include ending Hamas, nor would it allow Israel to maintain military control over Gaza after the war ends, according to The Associated Press. 

Hamas and its militant ally Palestinian Islamic Jihad reportedly rejected the Egyptian proposal to give up power in Gaza in exchange for a permanent ceasefire, according to Reuters. 

Israel’s War Cabinet will reportedly meet Monday to discuss the hostages being held in Gaza, but it is unclear whether the Egyptian proposal will be discussed.

After returning from Gaza on Monday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he spoke with Israeli troops and "All of them asked me for one thing only: We must not stop; we must keep going until the end."

"The papers and television studios said we are stopping; They also said we would stop after the first hostage deal - and we kept going," Netanyahu also said, according to The Jerusalem Post. "We do not stop; we keep fighting, and we will be deepening the fighting over the coming days; this will be a long battle, and it is not close to being over."

The ceasefire proposal comes as Israel said 14 soldiers died in Gaza over the weekend. Meanwhile, more than 100 people in Gaza died in an air strike Sunday, The Associated Press reported, citing hospital records. 

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