Israeli prime minister refuses to end war, vows full reoccupation of Gaza

By Zein Khalil and Mohammad Sio

JERUSALEM / ISTANBUL (AA) - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday reaffirmed his government’s intention to fully reoccupy the Gaza Strip and dismissed any agreement to end the ongoing war.

“There are certainly 20 hostages still alive in Gaza, and up to 38 others believed to have been killed,” Netanyahu said during a press conference at his office in West Jerusalem.

Meanwhile, more than 10,100 Palestinians remain imprisoned in Israel under conditions described by Palestinian and Israeli rights groups as involving torture, starvation, and medical neglect, according to Palestinian and Israeli human rights and media reports.

Netanyahu said Israel would consider a temporary ceasefire solely to recover hostages. “If there is an opportunity for a temporary pause in fighting to return more hostages—I emphasize, a temporary pause—we are open to that,” he said.

Hamas has repeatedly expressed readiness to release Israeli captives in a single exchange in return for an end to the war, an Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, and the release of Palestinian prisoners.

Netanyahu has rejected those terms, instead demanding the disarmament of Palestinian resistance factions and insisting on the full reoccupation of Gaza.

Israeli opposition leaders and families of hostages accuse Netanyahu of prolonging the war to appease the far-right members of his coalition and to protect his own political standing.

“The objectives of the war are interconnected, and we are committed to achieving them in full,” Netanyahu said.

Claiming progress, he added: “We’ve already accomplished much—eliminated tens of thousands of militants, taken out senior Hamas commanders, and likely killed (Hamas leader) Mohammed Sinwar.”

Netanyahu also said three days ago, in coordination with Defense Minister Israel Katz, he ordered the launch of a new phase of the war, referring to the expanded ground offensive dubbed “Operation Gideon’s Chariots” in northern and southern Gaza.

“At the end of this phase, all areas of the Gaza Strip will be under Israeli security control, and Hamas will be entirely eliminated,” he claimed.

His statements come as the Israeli army has pursued a brutal offensive against Gaza since October 2023, killing nearly 53,700 Palestinians, most of them women and children.

The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants last November for Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.