Netanyahu: Ceasefire without defeating Hamas means "endless" bloodshed in Gaza

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has stated that a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip without defeating the radical Hamas movement would lead to an "endless war" in the Palestinian enclave.

"Those who today call for ending the war without defeating Hamas not only strengthen Hamas's position and delay the release of hostages, but also ensure that the atrocities of October 7, 2023, will be repeated over and over again," Netanyahu said during the weekly government meeting, Caliber.Az reports, citing the premier's office.

As a result, Israeli soldiers "will be forced to fight again and again in an endless war," he added.

The conflict between Israel and Hamas, a Palestinian militant group designated as a terrorist organization by Israel, the United States, the European Union, and others, has been a central issue in the Middle East for decades. The most significant escalation in recent years began with Hamas's October 7, 2023, attack on southern Israel, where militants killed approximately 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducted 251 individuals, taking them as hostages to Gaza. This attack, described as the deadliest in Israel's history, prompted a large-scale Israeli military response, including airstrikes and ground operations in the Gaza Strip.

According to Gaza's Health Ministry, which is part of the Hamas-run government, Israel's offensive has resulted in over 61,700 Palestinian deaths, with roughly half being women and children, though these figures are disputed by Israel, which claims a significant portion were combatants.

By Khagan Isayev