In a statement delivered at the start of the weekly cabinet meeting, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu marked six months since October 7, vowing that Israel will achieve complete victory over Hamas and calling for unity among Israel’s citizens.
“I made it clear to the international community: There will be no ceasefire without the return of the hostages. It just won’t happen,” Netanyahu said.
Turning to the ongoing negotiations for a temporary truce and hostage release deal, the PM said that “Israel is not the one preventing a deal. Hamas is preventing a deal.”
“Surrendering to Hamas’s demands will allow it to try to repeat the crimes of October 7 again and again, as it promised to do," Netanyahu said.
It is estimated that some 130 people still remain held captive by Hamas, the body of Elad Katzir, the Israeli hostage, was recovered and returned to Israel on April 6.
