Netanyahu says ‘from now on’ hostage talks ‘will be conducted only under fire’
According to Netanyahu, the terror group turned down all proposals to release more of the 59 hostages still held in Gaza.
Israel has returned to intensive combat against Hamas, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says in a televised address, adding that the intelligence services and IDF recommended the course of action and that it was a last resort after weeks of failed efforts to get Hamas to free more hostages.
According to Netanyahu, the terror group turned down all proposals to release more of the 59 hostages still held in Gaza, 24 of whom are believed to be alive. He says Israel “extended the ceasefire for weeks during which we did not receive hostages” in order to exhaust all the chances for Hamas to end its obduracy.
Speaking in a recorded video statement released during primetime evening news broadcasts, after massive Israeli airstrikes in Gaza overnight, he says Israel sent delegations to Doha and Cairo, to no avail.
While Israel accepted U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff’s proposal for hostages to be freed and the ceasefire extended, he goes on, “Hamas rejected every proposal, time after time.”
The hostage-ceasefire deal finalized in Doha in January provided for 33 hostages — 25 of them alive — to be released in a 42-day first phase, in exchange for some 2,000 Palestinian prisoners and a ceasefire. The phase was carried out from Jan. 19. But the deal also provided for negotiations on a second phase, during which remaining living hostages would be freed, the IDF would fully withdraw from Gaza and a permanent ceasefire would take effect. Netanyahu has sought instead to extend the ceasefire and secure more hostage releases without entering phase two, and Hamas has refused.
Netanyahu says that he always promised that if Hamas remained implacable, the military campaign would resume.
“And indeed, we have gone back to fighting,” Netanyahu says “We have gone back to fighting with force.”
Netanyahu declares that Israel will now operate with steadily growing force against Hamas.
“From now on,” Netanyahu continues, “negotiations will be conducted only under fire.”
“This is only the beginning,” Netanyahu warns Hamas. PJC
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