As Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu refuses to end his genocidal war against defenseless civilians in the besieged Gaza Strip, vowing to continue it even if more hostages are released, The Times of Israel reports that US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff has told Arab mediators that the United States will not force Israel to end the war.

"We will enter in the coming days with all our might to complete the operation... to subdue Hamas," Netanyahu said on Tuesday. "Hamas might say, 'Stop, we want 10 more hostages released.' Fine, release them. We'll take them in, and then we'll enter. But we won't reach a situation where we stop the war."

The Times report also quoted a source who attended a meeting Witkoff held with families of Israeli prisoners held in Gaza last week. The source said Witkoff largely agreed with the Arab mediators' position that Israel's escalation plan would be futile.

It's worth noting that in another meeting with the prisoners' families this week, Witkoff was asked why the United States wasn't forcing Israel to stop. According to a recording of the meeting obtained by Haaretz, Witkoff said, "We are not the Israeli government. We don't disagree. The Israeli government is a sovereign government. They can't tell us what to do, and we can't tell them what to do."

Since the start of the Israeli war of annihilation in Gaza on October 8, 2023, the war has been entirely dependent on US military aid, meaning the United States has the power to pressure Netanyahu to end the massacre and allow humanitarian aid into Gaza, which has been under a comprehensive Israeli blockade since March 2. Instead, according to US reports, Witkoff is proposing a week-long ceasefire agreement that would see the release of a small number of detainees.

In return, Hamas said it was willing to release all hostages at once in exchange for a permanent ceasefire.

Witkoff said that during the week-long truce, the United States will ensure that Israel enters into talks on a permanent agreement, but Hamas is unlikely to agree to an agreement without a prior commitment to a permanent truce. Israel was supposed to enter into talks on a permanent ceasefire under the agreement signed in January, but it refused.

For his part, Bassem Naim, a prominent member of Hamas, confirmed that the movement is in the process of conducting direct talks with the United States.

Bassem Naim told Sky News that Hamas is in "direct contact with some figures in the US administration" regarding conditions for ending Israel's bombing of the Gaza Strip.

Naim revealed that Hamas wants "a prisoner exchange, a complete withdrawal of Israeli forces, allowing all aid into Gaza, and the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip without forced migration."

He also stressed that Hamas is prepared to relinquish control of the Gaza Strip, which it has held since 2006, in exchange for its demands being met.

He added, "We also informed the Americans that we are prepared, once again, to hand over control of the Gaza Strip immediately if an end is reached to this war."

Naim said in a statement on Thursday that allowing aid into Gaza is the "minimum" for negotiations with Israel, which has imposed a strict blockade on the Strip since early March.

Naim emphasized that Gaza "is not for sale," commenting on statements by US President Donald Trump in which he expressed his country's desire to "take" the Strip and turn it into a "free zone."

"Gaza is an integral part of the Palestinian territories, and is not a property for sale on the open market," he said.

US President Donald Trump said Thursday that he wants the United States to "take" Gaza and turn it into a "free zone." Speaking from Qatar, Trump explained, "I have very good ideas for Gaza: make it a free zone," adding, "I would be proud if the United States owned it, took it, and made it a free zone."

But Naim pointed out that "Trump's vision of global calm and a safer and more peaceful world... while commendable in principle, cannot be achieved as long as the war and genocide in Gaza continue."

"Palestinians, like all peoples of the world, have the right to live in freedom and dignity within an independent, sovereign state," he added.

He added that Hamas "expressed, through all its contacts, including with the US administration, its readiness to cooperate constructively with all relevant international parties to achieve an immediate cessation of hostilities and launch a credible political process leading to the establishment of a fully independent Palestinian state."

Naim said, "The minimum requirement for a favorable and constructive negotiating environment is for the Netanyahu government to be obligated to open the crossings and allow the entry of humanitarian aid." He considered that the US administration "is capable of enforcing this humanitarian commitment, which was also a key element in the understandings that led to the release of soldier Idan Alexander," referring to the Israeli soldier with US citizenship who was released by Hamas this week.

Naim stressed that "access to food, water, and medicine is a basic human right and not a subject for negotiation."