Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office reaffirmed on Friday that Israel will continue its offensive in the Gaza Strip until all its war objectives are met.
This statement followed US President Joe Biden’s announcement of a new cease-fire proposal, which he said Israel had agreed to, urging Hamas to accept it.
Netanyahu’s office stated, “The war will not end until all our goals are achieved, including the return of all our hostages and the dismantling of Hamas’ military and governmental capabilities.”
However, the statement noted that Netanyahu had authorised Israel’s negotiating team to “present an outline for achieving this goal,” specifically referring to the hostages’ release.
“The proposed outline by Israel, including the conditional transition from stage to stage, allows Israel to uphold these principles,” the statement concluded.
Biden’s proposal involves three phases, starting with a six-week full cease-fire, the withdrawal of Israeli forces from populated areas in Gaza, and a prisoner exchange.
Since October 7, 2023, Israel has killed over 36,000 Palestinians in Gaza. Indirect negotiations between Israel and Hamas, mediated by the US, Qatar, and Egypt, have not yet resulted in a permanent cease-fire agreement.
