While Israel acknowledges it is negotiating another extension of ceasefire with Hamas, Netanyahu says it will go to war again if hostage releases end

Benjamin Netanyahu said today that Israel will return to war when the current phase of hostage releases in the Gaza Strip is over, as there is “no way” it can stop its military offensive in the Palestinian enclave, while a possible extension is being discussed negotiated. of the ceasefire with Hamas that ends today.

“In recent days I have heard a question: after this phase of return, our kidnapped people are exhausted, Will Israel Fight Again? “My answer is an unequivocal yes,” the prime minister reiterated in statements that come as Qatar tries to secure an extension of the temporary ceasefire in Gaza that began on Friday.

This halted fighting in Gaza for several days, where Palestinians say the death toll has risen to more than 15,000 since the war began on October 7, but Israeli authorities repeatedly insist they have no plans to end the current war. conflict, armed.

“It is impossible that we will not fight to the end again. “This is my policy, the entire cabinet supports it, the government supports it, the soldiers support it, the people support it: this is exactly what we will do,” he said, adding that Israel has three goals in Gaza .

“From the beginning of the war, I set three objectives: the elimination of Hamas, the return of all our abducted people and ensuring that Gaza will never again pose a threat to Israel,” objectives “that remain valid,” he stressed.

Dead hostages

The executive branch and defense apparatus assure that the release of hostages held in the Gaza Strip – 81 between Israelis and foreigners – is due to the military pressure Israel has so far exerted on Hamas, including a ground invasion in northern Gaza and Gaza capital, where destruction is at its maximum.

For its part, Hamas claims that the Israeli bombings themselves killed more than 60 hostages.

Today, the armed wing, the Al Qasam Brigades, announced the deaths of three members of the Argentinian-Israeli Bibas family: two children – a ten-month-old baby and his four-year-old brother – and their mother as a result of airstrikes. attacks that took place days before, to the current temporary ceasefire.

Israel is negotiating a new extension of the ceasefire with the Islamist group Hamas to free the women and children still abducted in Gaza who have not been released during the last five days of the hostage-for-prisoner exchange, a senior government official said Today. .

If the release of ten new hostages happens today, The hostages will still include 27 women and children.

“There are discussions in Qatar with the participation of the United States, Egypt and Qatar to see if there are possibilities to continue in the same direction,” the official acknowledged during a virtual meeting with journalists.

“We cannot forget about these 27 and simply discuss another agreement,” although he made clear that once he is released, Israel will be “more than open to discussing the release of other groups” of hostages.

Regarding the possibility that some of the prisoners are not in Hamas’s possession, he said that this “would make sense”, but stressed that the Islamist group is the most powerful in Gaza and that if it wants to take all the hostages, it can do that. So.

“We know that whatever Yahya Sinwar – Hamas leader – decides, will be done. So if he wants them to give him all the hostages to ensure the agreement is enforced, he can do that.” he assured.

The official was also consulted about the possibility of some of the Hamas leadership leaving Gaza and moving to another Arab country, an option he did not rule out and which he said “could emerge” once the group’s militants ” understand that they can’t do that’. They have an alternative.”

Finally, While he stressed that the priority is the release of the hostages, He believes Hamas is taking advantage of this ceasefire to “rearm, reorganize, discuss its tactics and re-establish its lines of communication.” (JO)