Jerusalem: In a stark declaration, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has emphasized that the ongoing military offensive in Gaza will persist until Hamas is completely stripped of its ability to govern and wage war. Netanyahu’s office released a statement asserting that the conflict would not conclude until all objectives were met, including the retrieval of Israeli hostages and the dismantling of Hamas’s military and administrative infrastructure.
“The prime minister authorized the negotiating team to present an outline for achieving the return of hostages while insisting that the war will not end until all of its goals are achieved, including the return of all our hostages and the elimination of Hamas’s military and governmental capabilities,” the statement read.
Netanyahu’s strategy, detailed in the proposal, involves a phased approach allowing Israel to uphold its key principles. The statement emphasized that the conditional transition from one stage to another ensures these principles are maintained.
Concurrently, U.S. President Joe Biden, in his first major address aimed at resolving the eight-month-long conflict, proposed a six-week initial phase where Israeli forces would withdraw from populated areas of Gaza. Speaking from the White House, Biden stressed the urgency of ending the war and initiating a post-war recovery.
“It’s time for this war to end, for the day after to begin,” Biden declared in his televised address, underscoring the importance of seizing this moment for peace.
The Gaza conflict ignited following a deadly attack by Hamas on southern Israel on October 7, which left 1,189 people dead, mostly civilians. Hamas militants also abducted 252 hostages, with 121 still held in Gaza, including 37 who the Israeli army reports as deceased.
Israel’s subsequent offensive has resulted in substantial casualties in Gaza, with at least 36,284 people killed, primarily civilians, according to the health ministry in the Hamas-controlled territory.
