Tel Aviv, MINA – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday said he might agree to a temporary ceasefire in Gaza but firmly rejected any permanent end to the ongoing war on the Palestinian enclave, Anadolu Agency reported.
Speaking during a visit to injured Israeli soldiers, Netanyahu emphasized, “Eliminating Hamas and freeing all our hostages, these go hand in hand.”
He added, “Hamas might say ‘okay – we want to release ten more.’ There will be no situation where we stop the war.”
According to the Times of Israel, Netanyahu also assured members of his governing coalition that unless Hamas agrees to disarm, Israel will only consider a short-term ceasefire, specifically in exchange for hostages.
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“In the coming days, we will enter with full force to complete the operation to defeat Hamas. Our forces are there now,” he said.
On Monday, Netanyahu’s office announced that he had instructed his negotiating team to head to Qatar to continue talks with Hamas regarding a potential ceasefire and prisoner exchange deal. The Israeli delegation is expected to remain in Doha until at least Thursday, during US President Donald Trump’s Gulf tour.
Hamas recently released Israeli-American hostage Edan Alexander, stating that the decision was made following communications with Washington as part of ongoing efforts to secure a truce.
Israel believes 58 Israeli captives remain in Gaza, including 21 confirmed to be alive. At the same time, over 9,900 Palestinians are currently held in Israeli prisons, where they reportedly face torture, starvation, and lack of medical care, conditions that have led to several deaths, according to human rights organizations and media reports.
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Since October 2023, Israel’s military campaign has killed more than 52,900 Palestinians, most of them women and children. []
Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)
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