Netanyahu: Israel ready for short-term truce to retrieve more hostages

At his first press conference in five months, held in Jerusalem, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed that there are currently 20 living hostages in Gaza and stated that “up to 38” hostages have been killed.

“We will bring everyone back,” Netanyahu pledged during the briefing — his first since December, Caliber.Az reports, citing Israeli media.

He emphasised that Israel has a “very organised” strategy to accomplish its military objectives in Gaza, asserting that the war has “a purpose that is clear and justified.”

“That purpose is to defeat Hamas, which carried out the atrocities of October 7; to bring back all of our hostages; and to ensure that Gaza does not present a threat to Israel,” Netanyahu declared. He maintained that these goals are not contradictory, but rather interdependent, saying, “We have to achieve them fully.”

Netanyahu also said that Israel has “apparently” eliminated Hamas military commander Muhammad Sinwar.

Regarding the possibility of negotiations, the prime minister indicated that Israel is open to a “temporary ceasefire” if it leads to the return of additional hostages. However, he stressed that such a ceasefire would be strictly limited in duration.

His comments came as Israel continued its extensive military campaign in the Gaza Strip, launched in the wake of the Hamas-led assault on southern Israel on October 7, 2023. Dubbed “Gideon’s Chariots,” the operation is one of the most prolonged and wide-ranging Israeli offensives in the territory. It involves coordinated air, ground, and naval assaults, and aims to dismantle Hamas’s military infrastructure, eliminate its leadership, and prevent future cross-border attacks.

By Tamilla Hasanova