Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has reportedly told the families of Israeli prisoners of war held in Gaza that the war will continue until its goals are achieved and Hamas is eliminated.
“The first thing is to eliminate Hamas and achieve victory. We are approaching this step by step. If they said – 3 months ago and before we went into Rafah – that there is nothing to be done, I say there is a lot to be done. In the meantime, we have eliminated [Al-Qassam Brigades head, Muhammad] Deif and other leaders as well, and we have seized the Philadelphi Corridor and the Rafah crossing. We are using all the force necessary to dismantle Hamas’s rule and military capabilities, and this is moving forward,” Netanyahu reportedly said during a meeting with families.
“At the same time,” he continued, “We are making an effort to return the hostages, under conditions that will allow the maximum number of captives to be released in the first stage of a deal. I say this clearly — this is a goal I set.”
Israel needs to maintain its “strategic security goals in the face of intense internal and external pressure,” he explained.
The families of Israeli hostages in Gaza yesterday accused Netanyahu of abandoning their loved ones for his political survival, after occupation forces said they had recovered the bodies of six hostages from the Palestinian enclave.
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