Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu released a video statement on Sunday insisting that Israel would not accede to Hamas’ demands for an end to the war as a condition of a deal to release Israeli hostages remaining in Gaza.
“Israel is ready and continues to pause the fighting to free the hostages.” “[But] Israel will not accede to Hamas’ demands that would mean surrender. We will continue to fight until all objectives are achieved. ”
עורים כל מאמץ לשחרור כל חטופינו, אבל לא נכנע לחמאס. pic.twitter.com/AlNdr1UISU
– Benjamin Netanyahu May 5, 2024
Prime Minister Netanyahu’s statement comes amid protests in Israel for and against the agreement, and amid media speculation that the United States has assured Hamas that it will be able to prevent Israel from continuing fighting after the hostages are released. The announcement was made following speculation.
A US mediator led by CIA Director William Burns, Egypt and Qatar are meeting with Hamas in Cairo, Egypt, to reach an agreement to release the remaining 130 hostages. Israeli Army Radio reported Sunday that at least 60 people are believed to be alive.
Reports say Israel is willing to make major concessions, including releasing thousands of convicted Palestinian terrorists, some of whom are serving life sentences for their role in killing Israelis. It is said that there are some people.
But Hamas insisted that Israel must agree to end the war for good. The terrorist organization’s goal is to survive, return to power in Gaza, rebuild its power, and once again demonstrate its ability to harm Israel.
Both sides understand that if Hamas survives, it means that Israel has failed in one of the war’s key objectives. Israel would emerge from such a deal weaker, and Arab states may be less interested in an alliance with Israel.
Israel has therefore been hesitant to send its own delegation to Cairo, saying it would only do so if Hamas understood it could not end the war with a hostage deal.
Hamas’ last stronghold is in the town of Rafah, near the Egyptian border. The US has been urging people not to attack Israel since February, ostensibly for fear of harm to civilians, but it is more likely to save the White House’s diplomatic objectives.
The Biden administration has maintained that a Palestinian state will be created as a result of the war. Israelis previously supported this goal, but now oppose it following the October 7 terrorist attack. Most support an invasion of Rafah to win the war.
However, the possibility of a hostage deal has been raised, and Israeli public opinion is divided. On the left, protesters are demanding an agreement with or without an attack on Rafah. On the right, protesters are demanding victory, with or without a hostage deal.
There is speculation that if such an agreement were reached, Prime Minister Netanyahu’s right-wing coalition partners would resign, and that, absent a hostage deal, his left-wing partners in the national unity emergency government would also resign.
The initiative has remained with Hamas for days, with Gaza-based Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar reportedly claiming guarantees that Israel will not resume fighting. The US is reportedly trying to argue that it can convince Israel on this issue.
The full translation of Prime Minister Netanyahu’s statement to the public provided by the Government Press Office is below.
I would like to comment on the biased media coverage that is negatively impacting hostage release negotiations and causing unnecessary suffering to the families of the hostages who are enduring a nightmare. My heart goes out to them.
Contrary to these reports, it is Hamas that is preventing the release of the hostages. We are working in every possible way to free the hostages. This is our top priority.
Israel has been and remains prepared to suspend fighting to free hostages. This is what we did when we freed 124 hostages and resumed fighting, and this is what we are ready to do today.
In recent weeks, we have been working day and night to develop an agreement to return the hostages. And, contrary to reports, to achieve this goal, we gave the negotiating team very broad powers to proceed with the release. We did so out of deep devotion to the hostages and to end the terrible suffering of their families.
Throughout the negotiations, Israel has signaled its willingness to make major moves, which Secretary of State Blinken and others have described as “very generous.”
However, while Israel has shown this willingness, Hamas still adheres to its extreme position of first and foremost withdrawing our troops from the Strip, ending the war, and leaving Hamas intact.
The State of Israel will not accept this. We accept the situation in which Hamas battalions will leave the tunnels, reestablish control of the Strip, rebuild the military industry, and return to threaten communities in the Western Negev, southern cities, and Israeli citizens throughout the region. I have no intention of doing so. Country.
In this case, the next date, October 7th, is only a matter of time. Hamas will be able to fulfill its promise of repeated massacres, rapes, and abductions.
Could our hero have fallen into this? Have we paid the heaviest price for this?
The answer is no!
Giving in to Hamas’ demands would be a terrible defeat for the state of Israel.
It would be a huge victory for Hamas, Iran, and the entire axis of evil.
It would show terrible weakness to both our friends and our enemies.
This weakness will only bring the next war closer, and the next peace agreement will be postponed because alliances will not be made with the weak and the losers. Alliances are formed between the strong and the victorious.
Therefore, Israel will not accede to Hamas’ demands that would mean surrender. We will continue to fight until all objectives are achieved.
Joel B. Pollack is a senior editor at Breitbart News. Breitbart News Sunday Sunday nights from 7:00 PM to 10:00 PM ET (4:00 PM to 7:00 PM PT) on Sirius XM Patriot. He is the author of a recently published e-book.The Zionist conspiracy (and how to join it)‘ is now available on Audible. He is also the author of an e-book. Neither Free nor Fair: The 2020 US Presidential Election. He is the recipient of the 2018 Robert Novak Journalism Alumni Fellowship. Follow him on Twitter @joelpolak.
