Netanyahu signals openness to Trump's Gaza ceasefire plan: Sources
Netanyahu is scheduled to sit down with Trump at the White House on Monday.
The Israel Defense Forces is continuing its operation to take control of Gaza City, the largest urban area in the Gaza Strip, despite international outcry over the deteriorated humanitarian situation in the Palestinian territory.
Meanwhile, in protest of Israel's continuation of its military operations in Gaza, several nations including France, the U.K. and Canada recognized Palestinian statehood as leaders gathered in New York last week for meetings at the United Nations General Assembly.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed the leaders on Friday, again saying Israel will not allow an independent Palestinian state to exist.
Key Headlines
'There will be no Palestinian state,' Netanyahu says
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was unequivocal in his rejection of the U.K., Canada and Australia recognizing a Palestinian state, saying in a statement Sunday "there will be no Palestinian state."
"It will not happen. A Palestinian state will not be established west of the Jordan River," the statement repeated.
Netanyahu also emphasized his government's expansion of West Bank settlements and says "we will continue on this path."
In a separate statement, the Israeli Foreign Ministry said the recognition "will push the desired peace further away," and that "if the countries that signed this declaration truly wish to stabilize the region, they should focus on pressuring Hamas to release the hostages and to disarm immediately."
A statement from the Hostage Families Forum said it "condemns" the announcements, saying the recognition "[turns] a blind eye to the fact that 48 hostages remain in Hamas captivity."
"We call on all nations to act responsibly and ensure that any 'day after' discussions occur only after our loved ones are brought home," the statement said, in part.
-ABC News' Jordana Miller