Before agreeing to end the war in Gaza, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reiterated his previous stance that the Palestinian militant group Hamas must be destroyed.
The Guardian reported on the 1st that Netanyahu emphasized his will to defeat Hamas through a statement released on the previous day, raising doubts about the new ceasefire proposal announced by U.S. President Joe Biden, which Israel leads.
In the statement, Netanyahu said, “Israel’s conditions for ending the (Gaza) war have not changed,” and “The military power and governing capacity of Hamas must be removed, all hostages must be released, and it must be guaranteed that Gaza will no longer be a threat to Israel.”
He added, “The idea that Israel will agree to a permanent ceasefire before these conditions are met is a non-starter.”
This tough statement by Netanyahu came immediately after Biden held an emergency press conference at the White House on the 31st of last month and unveiled a three-step ceasefire proposal newly proposed by Israel regarding the Gaza war, urging Hamas to accept it.
According to The Guardian, Israel’s three-step ceasefire proposal consists of a complete ceasefire for six weeks (first step), the exchange of all surviving hostages and withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza (second step), and the start of the Gaza reconstruction plan (third step). President Biden said, “This is a roadmap that includes a sustainable ceasefire and the release of all hostages,” and urged, “Hamas must come to the table and accept this proposal to end the war they started.”
However, the media outlet noted, “Despite Biden explaining that this three-step ceasefire proposal is Israel’s proposal, it is uncertain whether Netanyahu’s government fully supports this plan,” and conveyed, “His speech seems to aim to pressure not only Hamas but also Israel to end the Gaza war.”
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