Netanyahu: "Israel cannot accept" the end of the war in Gaza

Jerusalem, May 5 (EFE).- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said this Sunday that his country "cannot accept" the end of the war in Gaza as a condition for a ceasefire that would allow the release of Israeli hostages in the Palestinian enclave.

HANDPUT IMAGES COURTESY OF THE PRESS OFFICE OF THE PRIME MINISTER OF ISRAEL.

STATEMENTS BY BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, FIRST MINISTER OF ISRAEL, ON THE CEASE FIRE IN GAZA: "I would like to comment on the biased media reports that are damaging the negotiations for the release of the hostages, in addition to causing unnecessary suffering to the families of the hostages who are enduring a nightmare. My heart goes out to them. Unlike what these reports say, it is Hamas that is delaying the release of our hostages. We are working by all possible means to free the hostages; this is our top priority. Israel has been, and continues to be, willing to pause fighting to free our hostages. This is what we did when we freed 124 hostages and resumed fighting, and this is what we are also prepared to do today. In recent weeks, we have been working day and night to formulate an agreement that allows us to return our hostages. And then, totally contrary to the reports, to achieve this objective, we have given the negotiating team a very broad mandate to advance the liberation. We did it out of a deep commitment to the hostages and to end the terrible suffering of the families. Throughout the negotiations, Israel has shown a willingness to make significant moves, which has been described by US Secretary of State Blinken and others as "very generous." But although Israel has shown this willingness, Hamas continues to maintain its extreme positions, first of all, the withdrawal of our forces from the Strip, the conclusion of the war and leaving Hamas intact. The State of Israel is not willing to accept this. We are not willing to accept a situation in which Hamas battalions abandon their tunnels, reestablish control over the Strip, rebuild their military industries and once again threaten the citizens of Israel in the communities of the western Negev, in the cities of the south and throughout the country. In that case, next October 7 would be just a matter of time. Hamas could fulfill its promise to carry out repeated massacres, rapes and kidnappings. Did our heroes fall for this? Have we paid the highest price for this? The answer is no! Capitulating to Hamas's demands would be a terrible defeat for the State of Israel. It would be a great victory for Hamas, Iran and the entire axis of evil. It would show terrible weakness before our friends and our enemies. This weakness would only bring the next war closer and delay the next peace agreement because alliances are not made with the weak and defeated. Alliances are made with the strong and the victorious. Therefore, Israel will not accept Hamas' demands, which would mean surrender. Israel will continue fighting until it achieves all its goals.