Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced today, Tuesday, that the Israeli army is encircling Gaza City and conducting operations within it as the ongoing month-long assault on Hamas continues. In a televised statement, Netanyahu indicated that there would be no ceasefire or fuel deliveries to Gaza until Hamas releases the Israeli hostages. He added, "We will not stop."
In a television interview conducted by ABC News, Netanyahu stated that "Israel will take comprehensive security responsibility" in Gaza for an indefinite period, arguing that "when we do not take this security responsibility, what we face is an outbreak of Hamas terrorism on a scale we cannot imagine."
In response to a question about who should govern the Gaza Strip after the war, Netanyahu said, "Those who do not want to continue down Hamas's path." He stressed that there will be no ceasefire in Gaza without the release of the hostages held by Hamas since launching its unprecedented surprise attack on Israel on October 7. He said, "There will be no comprehensive ceasefire in Gaza without our hostages being released."
He added, "Regarding [...] short-term ceasefires - an hour here and an hour there - this has actually happened before." Netanyahu continued, "I think we will assess the circumstances to allow goods to enter or for our hostages to leave, but I do not believe there will be a comprehensive ceasefire."
The Israeli Prime Minister emphasized that any long-term ceasefire would benefit Hamas. He stated, "This would hinder our efforts to free our hostages because the only thing that pressures them and Hamas is the military pressure we exert."
Responding to a question about whether he considers himself responsible for the unprecedented attack launched by Hamas exactly a month ago, Netanyahu replied, "Of course." He added, "There is no doubt about it, and this is something that must be addressed after the war," acknowledging that his government has "clearly failed" in its commitment to protect its people.
