Ceasefire Between Israel, Hamas ‘Will Not Happen’ — Netanyahu

Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Monday that a ceasefire in the Gaza war “will not happen” as it would be “to surrender” to Hamas.

Netanyahu also told a press conference that other countries must give more help in the struggle to free more than 230 hostages seized by Hamas in its October 7 attacks.

He said the international community must demand the captives “be freed immediately, unconditionally”.

“I want to make clear Israel’s position concerning the ceasefire, just as the United States did not agree to a ceasefire after the bombing of Pearl Harbor or after the terrorist attack of 9/11. Israel will not agree to the cessation of hostilities with Hamas after the horrific attack of October 7th.”

“Calls for a ceasefire are calls for surrender to Hamas, surrender to terrorism, surrender to barbarism, that will not happen,” Netanyahu said

Vowing that Israel would “fight until this battle is won”, Netanyahu said the army was going out of its way to “prevent civilian casualties” in Gaza.

The health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza says at least 8,306 people, mostly civilians, have been killed in Israeli air and artillery strikes since the war erupted on October 7 after Hamas’s deadly attack on southern Israel killed 1,400 people, mostly civilians.