Said Amori
18 February 2024•Update: 19 February 2024
JERUSALEM
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Saturday that Tel Aviv would not agree to Hamas' demands for a cease-fire and hostage swap as he threatened to launch a military offensive on Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip.
Netanyahu said at a news conference in Jerusalem that “Hamas' demands are insane. They want to achieve one goal, which is the defeat of Israel.”
“It is clear that we will not agree to them. If Hamas drops these demands, we can move forward,” he said.
"We have enough strength to destroy Hamas's power in Gaza and we must destroy most of its brigades, and we have made great progress in this regard," Netanyahu said.
Earlier Saturday, the head of Hamas' political bureau, Ismail Haniyeh chief , stressed that "the resistance will not accept anything less than a complete cessation of aggression, the withdrawal of the occupation army from the Gaza Strip, the lifting of the unjust siege, the provision of safe and appropriate shelter for the displaced due to the crimes of the occupation, the return of the displaced, especially to the northern Gaza Strip, an end to the barbaric starvation policy, and a commitment to reconstruction."
“Hamas responded all the time in a positive spirit and responsibly with the mediators in order to stop the aggression against our people, to end the unjust siege, and to allow the flow of aid, shelter, and reconstruction,” Haniyeh said in a statement.
Last Tuesday, Negotiations on a proposed new hostage swap deal were held in Cairo, with no progress.
Despite regional and international warnings against any Israeli invasion of Rafah, Netanyahu said, “Those who want to prevent us from launching a military operation in Rafah want us to lose this war, I will not allow that.”
He claimed that “there is ample room for the evacuation of civilians in the Rafah area so that we can carry out a military operation.”
Earlier Saturday, Israeli Channel 12 reported that Netanyahu would present his government with a plan next week for the army's attack on Rafah.
Israel announced its intention to invade Rafah in the densely populated southern area, after forcibly evacuating residents of the north and directing them south, claiming it is a “safe area.”
Regional and international warnings escalate over the Israeli bombardment of Rafah with preparations to invade it on the ground, and the danger it poses to hundreds of thousands of displaced people who have sought refuge there as the southernmost sanctuary in the Gaza Strip.
Regarding negotiations with the Palestinians, Netanyahu said, “Israel will not ‘succumb to international dictates’ regarding the future settlement with the Palestinians.”
He added: “Under my leadership, Israel will continue its strong opposition to the unilateral recognition of the Palestinian state.”
In a reference to ongoing popular protests in several Israeli cities since the war began, demanding the resignation of the government, Netanyahu expressed opposition to holding elections during the conflict.
He said, “The last thing Israel needs right now is to hold elections.”
Israelis demonstrate daily to demand the resignation of Netanyahu's government and the release of the hostages, but central protests are organized every Saturday across the country.
*Writing by Rania Abu Shamala
