Netanyahu Says ‘Complete Victory’ Is Within A ‘Matter Of Months’, Rejects Hamas Cease-Fire Deal
by Emmitt Barry, Worthy News Correspondent
(Worthy News) – Following a discussion with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has dismissed Hamas’ proposal for a ceasefire and hostage-release agreement, which called for a 135-day truce, a complete Israeli retreat from Gaza, and the release of over 1,000 Palestinian prisoners. Despite Netanyahu’s rejection of these terms, those involved in the talks maintain that there is still potential for hope.
In a recent statement, Netanyahu confidently asserted that Israel is on the brink of achieving a complete victory, suggesting that this may be achieved within just a few months.
“The IDF (Israel Defense Forces) creates wonders, and is moving forward in a systematic way to get all the goals of the war that we, at the political level, required from it: the elimination of Hamas, the release of all hostages, and the promise that Gaza won’t be a threat to Israel anymore,” Netanyahu stated.
Netanyahu reiterated his stance that applying military force remains the most effective strategy to secure the release of the nearly 100 hostages and about 30 bodies currently in Hamas’s possession.
“Surrendering to Hamas’ delusional demands that we heard now not only won’t lead to freeing the captives, it will just invite another massacre – it will invite a major disaster on the state of Israel that none of our citizens would want to accept,” Netanyahu stated.
“We will continue until the end,” Netanyahu continued. “There is no other solution besides complete victory.”
During his sixth trip to Israel in just four months, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken emphasized that from the outset, the United States has been deeply committed to the effort of releasing the hostages. He engaged with Israeli officials to evaluate Hamas’s reaction to a negotiation framework developed by the U.S., Qatar, and Egypt.
Netanyahu turned down a proposal that outlined a three-stage process for the release of Israeli hostages. Under the proposed plan, hostages would have been freed incrementally, starting with women and children, in return for the release of Palestinian prisoners from Israeli custody. This arrangement included allowing Hamas to select 500 individuals from a roster of prisoners serving life sentences.
The proposed agreement notably addresses the role of UNRWA, with Hamas insisting that the agency continues its work in administering aid in Gaza. This demand emerges in the wake of Israel providing substantial evidence that approximately 190 individuals are affiliated with Hamas within the U.N. organization.
Israel has previously stated its refusal to permit UNRWA’s ongoing operations within the region.
The proposed agreement had a clause for initiating a permanent cease-fire after completing the third phase of the pact, potentially giving Hamas a chance to opportunity to establish its position in Gaza. However, the Israeli government remains firm in its commitment to not cease hostilities until Hamas is eradicated.
Nevertheless, U.S. Secretary of State Blinken expressed optimism about the potential for reaching an agreement.
“What I can tell you about these discussions is that while there are some clear non-starters in Hamas’s response, we do think it creates space for agreement to be reached, and we will work at that relentlessly until we get there,” Blinken stated.
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