Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in an interview published by The Wall Street Journal on Friday that he wouldn’t end the genocidal war in Gaza as long as Hamas remains, making it clear he would not agree to a hostage deal that includes a permanent truce.
“I’m not going to agree to end the war before we remove Hamas,” Netanyahu told the Journal. “We’re not going to leave them in power in Gaza, 30 miles from Tel Aviv. It’s not going to happen.”
Netanyahu’s comments come amid reports that hostage deal talks are making progress. While Hamas has reportedly conceded to Israeli demands that the first phase of a deal wouldn’t include an Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, the group is still seeking an agreement that would result in a gradual end to the Israeli occupation.
According to media reports, the potential deal on the table would include an initial “humanitarian phase,” during which Hamas would release female, elderly, and sick hostages in exchange for the release of some Palestinian prisoners.
The next phase would involve the release of the remaining hostages and bodies of dead hostages in exchange for an Israeli withdrawal from Gaza. An analysis from Haaretz noted that Netanyahu’s comments make clear Israel would only go through with the humanitarian phase and restart military operations after that.
The Haaretz report reads: “Now, Hamas will be afraid to walk into Netanyahu’s trap and demand American guarantees that Israel won’t resume the fighting. And there’s a significant chance that the talks will once again break down.”
During previous rounds of negotiations, Netanyahu made similar statements that led to Hamas asking for stronger guarantees, which Israel then rejected. “It’s impossible to avoid the impression that Netanyahu’s fear of his government collapsing trumps his concern for the hostages,” the Haaretz report reads, referring to opposition within Netanyahu’s government to any sort of deal.
The Israeli military’s actions on the ground are also making it clear the Israeli occupation of Gaza will not end anytime soon. Since early October, Israeli forces have been conducting an ethnic cleansing campaign in northern Gaza, which involves destroying every building in sight so Palestinian civilians have nowhere to return. The campaign will likely lead to the establishment of Jewish settlements, an idea openly supported by many Israeli ministers and Knesset members.
