Benjamin Netanyahu, the prime minister of Israel, declared on Saturday that a long-term peace in Gaza could not come about until Hamas was removed.
According to Biden’s statement on Friday, Israel has offered a six-week cease-fire that would include a partial military withdrawal from Israel and the release of some prisoners while negotiations for “a permanent end to hostilities” continued. But according to Netanyahu’s remarks on Saturday, it was “a non-starter” for Israel to give its approval to an ongoing truce until “the destruction of Hamas’ military and governing capabilities”.
According to Israeli counts, the Israel Hamas war started on October 7 when fighters from the Islamist Palestinian group launched a rampage into southern Israel from Gaza, murdering over 1,200 people—mostly civilians—and taking over 250 prisoners. According to Palestinian health authorities, over 36,000 people have died as a result of Israel’s ground and aerial war in Gaza, which has left the area in ruins, caused widespread famine, and is mostly responsible for civilian deaths.
Israel claims that a long-term truce is impossible with the organization that carried out the attack on October 7 and seeks its destruction. According to Hamas, no agreement will be reached that would permit Israel to keep up its offensive onslaught in Gaza.
