Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that "Israel is engaged in a multi-front war against the 'Axis of Evil led by Iran'," threatening to respond with full force to any attack on Israel. During the weekly Israeli government session on Sunday, Netanyahu stated: "We strike hard at each of its arms. We are prepared for every defensive and offensive scenario." He added: "I reiterate to all our enemies, we will respond and extract a heavy price from the enemy on every front, no matter what."
Speaking about the progress of negotiations for a prisoner exchange deal with Hamas, Netanyahu indicated that "we are doing our utmost to return all the hostages, and I affirm all hostages without exception. We have an ironclad commitment to return them all, both the living and the deceased. Therefore, I directed the delegation to head to Cairo yesterday to continue negotiations." He continued: "I am prepared to go a long way to free all the captives while maintaining Israel's security. Our commitment completely contradicts everything being leaked concerning the release of the captives; these leaks and briefings harm the negotiations, create a smokescreen, and create the illusion that Hamas has agreed to the deal, while it is the Israeli government that opposes it. The opposite is true, and anyone interested in freeing the captives should apply pressure on Hamas, not on the Israeli government."
