Yahya Sinwar

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday expanded the country's goals for the war in Gaza, vowing to allow Israelis who fled areas near the Lebanon border to return to their homes.

The United States has charged six senior Hamas leaders, including Yahya Sinwar, in connection with the group's deadly attack on Israel on October 7 of last year. The charges, announced by the US Justice Department on September 3, involve seven counts, including murders and kidnappings of numerous civilians, including American citizens.

People protest in support of the war in Gaza, in Washington Square Park on Labor Day on September 2, 2024 in New York City

The United States said Tuesday it was time to "finalise" a deal between Israel and Hamas to end the Gaza war, after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's refusal to bow to pressure.

Hamas has decided not to participate in the upcoming round of peace negotiations with Israel, as confirmed by a representative of the movement in Lebanon.

Hamas on Sunday urged Gaza mediators to implement a truce plan presented by U.S. President Joe Biden instead of holding more talks, as Palestinians fled a new Israeli military operation.

Mediators from Egypt and Qatar have informed Israeli officials that Yahya Sinwar, the leader of Hamas, is seeking a ceasefire agreement to end the ongoing conflict in the Gaza Strip, according to an Israeli source familiar with the matter who spoke to CNN.

Yesterday, Israel warned that it would eliminate the new leader of Hamas, Yahya Sinwar, as the war in the Gaza Strip with the Palestinian Islamist movement, now in its eleventh month, threatens to spread across the Middle East.

Israel has vowed to eliminate new Hamas chief Yahya Sinwar, the alleged mastermind of the Oct. 7 attack, with regional hostilities threatening to boil over as the Gaza war enters its 11th month.

Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz has called for the "rapid elimination" of Yahya Sinwar, the new leader of Hamas. Sinwar took over the role a week after the death of the previous Hamas leader, Ismail Haniyeh, who was killed in Tehran. Katz's remarks reflect concerns that Sinwar, known for his radical stance, will further intensify the group's aggressive policies.

Hamas on Tuesday named Yahya Sinwar, the man Israel says masterminded the Oct. 7 attack that sparked the Gaza war, as its new political chief following last week's killing of his predecessor Ismail Haniyeh.

The announcement came with the Middle East on edge as it awaited Iran's retaliation over the killing of Haniyeh in Tehran.