Devastation in Gaza as Israel wages war on Hamas

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says comments from US Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer that described him as an obstacle to peace in the Middle East, were “totally inappropriate.”

On Thursday, Schumer criticized Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government, calling for new elections in a speech on the Senate floor on the Israel-Hamas war.

Netanyahu said whether elections were held or not in Israel was something "the Israeli government does on its own."

"It's inappropriate for.. to go to a sister democracy and try to replace the elected leadership," he said.

He said the decision to hold elections was ultimately up to the Israeli public.

if he would commit to holding them, Netanyahu replied: “we’ll see when we win the war.”

“If we were to have elections now, before the war is won, resoundingly won, we would have at least six months of national paralysis which means we would lose the war."

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says Israel will keep trying to secure a deal that would see the release of 100 hostages in exchange for a six week pause in fighting in an interview with CNN's Dana Bash.

When asked if he was open to the potential deal, Netanyahu replied:

“Time will tell but Hamas’ outlandish demands… makes that deal a lot more difficult. But we’re going to keep on trying because we want those hostages back.”