Israel’s government warned on Friday that its war in the Gaza Strip would “continue”, even as Washington presented an Israeli road map to a ceasefire that it said was “positive” of the Palestinian Islamist movement.

“The Israeli government is united in the desire for the return of our hostages as soon as possible and is working to achieve this goal (and) the prime minister has authorized the negotiating team to present a plan to achieve this goal, while insisting that war does not will not stop until all of its goals have been achieved,” including the “return” of all hostages and the “elimination of Hamas’ military and governmental capabilities.”

The road map drawn up allows Israel to “adhere to these principles”, according to the statement released in Hebrew and English shortly after US President Joe Biden’s speech introducing the proposal.

“It is time for this war to end,” the US president said in a speech at the White House in which he presented the road map he said was submitted to Hamas through Qatar, an emirate with a mediating role in the indirect negotiations.