Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday rejected a proposal for a Gaza war truce by Hamas, saying victory was within reach and only total defeat of the movement that rules the blockaded strip would ensure Israel’s security.
“This evening I want to tell you one thing, we are on the path of total victory. Victory is within reach, It’s not a matter of years or decades, it’s a matter of months,” Netanyahu said.
“In four months, the IDF (Israel Defense Forces) has killed or wounded some 20,000 terrorists, more than half of Hamas’ fighting force,” he further added.
Hamas has proposed a ceasefire plan that would quiet the guns in Gaza for four-and-a-half months, during which all hostages would go free, Israel would withdraw its troops from the Gaza Strip and an agreement would be reached on an end to the war.
According to a draft document, the Hamas counterproposal envisages three phases of a truce, lasting 45 days each. Militants would exchange remaining Israeli hostages they captured on October 7 for Palestinian prisoners. The reconstruction of Gaza would begin, Israeli forces would withdraw completely, and bodies and remains would be exchanged.
Calling Hamas’ position “delusional,” Netanyahu renewed a pledge to destroy the Islamist movement, saying there was no alternative for Israel but to bring about its collapse.
“The day after is the day after Hamas. All of Hamas,” he told a press conference, insisting that total victory against Hamas was the only solution to the four-month-old Gaza war.
“Continued military pressure is a necessary condition for the release of the hostages,” Netanyahu said.
However, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said there was still room for negotiation toward an agreement. Following a meeting with Netanyahu, Blinken suggested forging a truce agreement was not a lost cause.
Blinken met the leaders of Qatar and Egypt on Tuesday and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah on Wednesday.
(Input from Reuters)