Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated on Tuesday that "the latest ceasefire proposal presented by Hamas does not meet Israel's core demands." He noted that "military pressure remains necessary to secure the release of hostages held in Gaza." Regarding the objective of the Rafah operation, Netanyahu emphasized that "the entry into Rafah serves two main goals of the war: the return of our captives and the elimination of Hamas." The Israeli Prime Minister stressed that "Israel will not allow Hamas to build its military capabilities."
Defense Minister Yoav Gallant pointed out that "the operation to enter Rafah and control its crossing will continue until Hamas is eliminated or the first hostage is returned." He added that his country "is prepared to make concessions to retrieve the hostages, but will intensify its operations throughout Gaza if no agreement is reached regarding the captives." Israeli forces had earlier gained control of the Palestinian side of the Rafah border crossing between Egypt and Gaza, an action Netanyahu described as "a very significant step towards destroying what remains of Hamas's military capabilities."
