**:Xinhua.
Jerusalem, 7 Feb (Xinhua) -- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on 7 February that the Israeli army would defeat Hamas within a few months by rejecting the Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas)'s request for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.
Netanyahu said at a press conference on the evening of the 7th that accepting Hamas's ceasefire demand will not only not lead to the release of the detainees, but will bring another disaster to Israel. He has ordered IDF to prepare for an operation in Rafah, the southernmost city in the Gaza Strip.
Netanyahu said that Israel is on its way to a "complete victory" and that the Israeli army will defeat Hamas in a few months. Israel will remain in the Gaza Strip after the war to ensure the demilitarization of the Gaza Strip.
Hamas issued a statement on the evening of the 6th, saying that it had responded to the new round of agreement on the exchange of detainees and submitted it to mediators such as Qatar and Egypt. Israel's Intelligence and Secret Service (Mossad) issued a statement on the night of the 6th, saying that Qatar had conveyed Hamas's reply to the Mossad.
The first round of negotiations on a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas was held in Paris, France, on 28 January, with the participation of Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman and the heads of intelligence services from the United States, Israel and Egypt. Since Hamas and Israel refused to negotiate face-to-face, Egypt and Qatar communicated with Hamas in advance, and representatives of the two countries traveled to Paris to negotiate with Israel. The parties to the meeting reached an agreement on a new round of exchange of detainees.