Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu delivered a video message from Washington in which he reaffirmed Israel’s firm commitment to securing the release of all hostages. He stated that if Hamas agrees to Israel’s core demands, the war could come to an end. “I told them that we are currently trying to achieve the release of half of the hostages, both alive and dead, in exchange for a temporary ceasefire of 60 days,” he said, referring to conversations he had with families of those held captive. “At the beginning of this ceasefire, negotiations will be entered into to end the war permanently. That is, a permanent ceasefire. In order for us to achieve this, this must be done under the minimum conditions that we have set: Hamas lays down its weapons, Gaza is demilitarized, Hamas no longer has any governmental or military capabilities. These are our basic conditions.”
Those stipulations have remained consistent since the war began in the wake of Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attacks. Netanyahu made it clear that if diplomacy does not yield results, Israel is prepared to act. “If this can be achieved through negotiations — that’s great. If it is not achieved through negotiations in 60 days, we will achieve it in other ways; by using force, the force of our heroic army,” he declared, speaking after attending a memorial ceremony for two Israeli embassy staff members killed in May.
He drew a comparison to the Iranian nuclear threat, saying the same principle applies. “We said the same thing about Iran, removing the nuclear threat,” he noted. “If this is achieved in 60 days of negotiations between the United States and Iran, that’s great. But if it is not achieved, it will be achieved in another way.”
Netanyahu addressed criticism over the prolonged timeline of the Gaza war, attributing the slow progress to the complexity of the battlefield. “First of all, this is a war zone that no army in the world has faced,” he said. “And thanks to the heroism of the fighters, thanks to the sacrifice of the fallen, thanks to the creativity, we dismantled most of Hamas’s military capabilities. But not all of them. There are still thousands of fighters there with weapons. And we want to act, again, with a combination of diplomacy and military force, and military force if diplomacy doesn’t work, to complete the mission.”
He also acknowledged that the Biden administration had delayed Israel’s entry into Rafah, but emphasized that Israel moved ahead despite that. “We overcame that too, and now we want to complete the move,” he said. “And I remind you — [all this has happened] during the very months, the last few months, in which we were preparing and finally carrying out the military operation that is perhaps the most brilliant in our history, among the most brilliant certainly, which the whole world is in awe of.”
Even as ceasefire discussions unfold, Netanyahu emphasized that Israeli forces continue their operations. “Meanwhile, we continue to advance in the Gaza Strip and rescue the hostages who have died. In the meantime, we did not let up for a moment, and even now we are not letting up on this for a moment.”
He made it clear that if Hamas does not comply with the terms, Israel will not hesitate to return to the battlefield, pointing out that previous ceasefires ended with a resumption of fighting. Netanyahu said that while diplomacy is preferable, Israel’s objectives will be realized one way or another. “But one way or another, they will be achieved.”
On the sequencing of hostage releases, Netanyahu said he would much rather see everyone freed at once, but that Hamas’s cruelty complicates matters. “We are dealing with a cruel terrorist organization. Of course, we would like to rescue everyone, and from our point of view, they are all humanitarian. I want to rescue everyone in one fell swoop,” he said.
Still, he noted, there will likely be a two-stage release process, not entirely under Israel’s control. “Here we are dealing with two stages, but the choice is not always ours. We will do everything to maximize this release in the best possible way. Not everything is in our hands.”
{Matzav.com}