Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu threatened that the war on the Gaza Strip will not stop unless Hamas declares its complete surrender.
“The minute Hamas lays down its arms and surrenders, maybe we will let them leave, that’s the end of the war,” Netanyahu said in an interview, which dropped on the Nelk Boys’ “Full Send Podcast” on Monday.
Netanyahu's statements confirm that the PM has a set of conditions that make any ceasefire agreement in Gaza difficult and complicated.
He also seemed to be replying to a statement by the UK and 24 western nations, including France, Canada, Australia and Italy, that called for an immediate end to the war in Gaza as Israel launched fresh attacks on the central city of Deir al-Balah.
The countries' joint statement on Monday said the war “must end now” and it warned that the “suffering of civilians in Gaza has reached new depths.”
When asked what his message to Palestinians, who want to have a peaceful life, was, the PM replied: “Get rid of Hamas.”
Israel insists on continuing the war on Hamas until the movement surrenders, despite the complexities and cost of the standoff in Gaza.
During a rare “multi-front situational assessment” at the Glilot intelligence base — the first of its kind in nearly two years — Israeli Army Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir said the ongoing campaign against Hamas in Gaza is “one of the most complex” the army has ever faced.
According to the Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper, Zamir said “the army is required to operate offensively on multiple fronts alongside vital defense in each sector and on the borders.”
He added: “We will continue to act to achieve our objectives: the return of the hostages and the collapse of Hamas.”
Zamir stressed that the army will also continue to weaken and prevent strategic capabilities from Syria and Hezbollah in Lebanon and preserve its freedom of action.
Regarding Iran, after last month’s 12-day war, Zamir said: “Iran and its axis remain in our sights; the campaign against Iran isn’t over.”
He did not say what Israel's plans are in Gaza, but hardline Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich told a pro-settler conference on Tuesday that Zamir told him last week that Israel needs to annex the north of the Gaza Strip for security purposes.
Meanwhile, the Yedioth Ahronoth reported that while dozens of western nations called for an immediate end to the war in Gaza on Monday, a “Gaza Riviera” conference was being held in the Knesset where MPs openly discussed intentions to annex the coastal enclave, rebuild settlements there and turn it into a tourist destination.
The newspaper said European Union Foreign Minister Kaja Kallas issued an “explicit threat” to Israel, stating that “the killing of civilians seeking aid in Gaza is indefensible.”
Kallas added: “All options are on the table if Israel does not fulfill its commitments. I spoke again with Foreign Minister Gideon Saar to remind him of our agreement regarding aid flow - and to clarify that the Israeli army must stop killing people at distribution points.”
