Israel not to cease military operations against Hamas until its full destruction - Netanyahu

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has stated that Israel will not stop its military actions against the radical Palestinian movement Hamas until it is completely destroyed.

“The war could end tomorrow if Hamas lays down its arms and releases all remaining hostages,” he said during a press conference for foreign media, Caliber.Az reports, citing Israeli media.

The Prime Minister added, “Given Hamas’s refusal to disarm, Israel has no choice but to complete what it started and decisively defeat Hamas.”

Netanyahu announced that the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have been ordered to “eliminate the two remaining Hamas strongholds in Gaza City and the central areas” of the Gaza Strip.

According to him, the IDF will implement this plan while giving the civilian population the opportunity to safely leave the combat zones and remain in designated safe areas.

At a separate press conference for Israeli media, Netanyahu said that Hamas had set “unrealistic demands” for a deal—not only from Israel’s perspective but also from that of the United States.

He described the Palestinian radicals’ demands for a full withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza and binding international guarantees preventing renewed hostilities as unacceptable.

“These are conditions of surrender that no responsible government would agree to, and certainly, I will not accept them,” emphasized the Israeli Prime Minister.

By Khagan Isayev