Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has announced a fresh directive to increase military pressure on Hamas, following the collapse of recent truce negotiations and a firm rejection of Israel’s proposal by the Palestinian militant group. In a televised address on Saturday night, Netanyahu said that the country must continue fighting until complete victory is achieved, even though war comes at a heavy cost.
The Israeli leader’s remarks come after Hamas dismissed Israel’s latest offer for a temporary ceasefire, instead insisting that any agreement must include a permanent end to the war and the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza. Netanyahu described this demand as unacceptable and vowed to intensify operations against Hamas.
“We will continue to fight until victory. We will not agree to Hamas remaining in power in Gaza. We will not accept a permanent ceasefire under their conditions,” Netanyahu stated.
The ongoing war between Israel and Hamas, which started after Hamas militants launched a deadly attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, has claimed thousands of lives, mostly in Gaza. Following months of hostilities, Egypt had been leading efforts to broker a new ceasefire after a previous temporary truce collapsed in early March.
That earlier ceasefire had led to the release of 38 Israeli and foreign hostages held by Hamas, in exchange for a number of Palestinian prisoners held by Israel. However, after Israel demanded the extension of the ceasefire and Hamas responded with new conditions, talks broke down again.
Egyptian and Qatari mediators have reportedly continued to engage both sides, but so far without success.
A major point of contention in the negotiations remains the fate of hostages still held by Hamas in Gaza. Hamas has insisted that any future hostage exchange will only happen within a broader deal to end the war entirely. The group also claims that some of the hostages, including Israeli soldiers and foreign nationals, may have been killed in recent Israeli air strikes.
On Saturday, Hamas said it had recovered the body of a Palestinian militant who had been guarding Edan Alexander, an Israeli-American soldier captured on October 7. The group said that Alexander’s whereabouts are currently unknown, possibly due to the Israeli bombing of the location where he was being held.
Edan Alexander, a 21-year-old from New Jersey, was serving in the Israeli military when he was captured during the Hamas raid. His situation has been at the centre of recent discussions between Hamas and U.S. representatives.
Earlier this year, U.S. President Donald Trump’s Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, declared Alexander’s release a top American priority. Talks led by U.S. negotiator Adam Boehler with Hamas representatives have reportedly focused heavily on Alexander’s case.
However, last Tuesday, Hamas said it had lost contact with the cell that was holding Alexander after an Israeli air strike destroyed the building they were in. Netanyahu did not reference Alexander in his latest address, instead choosing to focus on the broader military and political objectives of the war.
As diplomatic efforts continue to flounder, the Israeli military has resumed heavy bombardment of Gaza. On Saturday alone, Palestinian health officials reported that at least 50 people were killed in various Israeli air strikes across the enclave.
Residential areas in central and southern Gaza were reportedly among the hardest hit. Hospitals and humanitarian groups have continued to raise alarms about the deteriorating conditions in Gaza, where food, medicine, and clean water are in short supply.
According to Palestinian health authorities, more than 33,000 people have been killed in Gaza since the war began, the majority of them women and children. Israel says it is targeting Hamas fighters and infrastructure, but the civilian toll remains high.
Back in Israel, Netanyahu is under growing domestic and international pressure to bring the war to an end and secure the release of the remaining hostages. Families of hostages have held frequent protests in Tel Aviv and outside government buildings, demanding that the prime minister do more to bring their loved ones home.
Many Israelis fear that the longer the war drags on, the harder it will become to safely retrieve the hostages. Some have called for the government to accept a ceasefire in exchange for the hostages’ release.
Netanyahu, however, insists that any such deal would only strengthen Hamas and put Israel at risk. “We cannot accept a situation where Hamas believes it can attack us, hold our citizens hostage, and survive. We must break this cycle,” he said.
The war in Gaza erupted after Hamas launched a surprise cross-border attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, killing more than 1,200 people, including civilians, and taking over 240 hostages. The attack, one of the deadliest in Israel’s history, shocked the country and triggered a massive military response.
Since then, Israel has conducted a sustained air and ground campaign aimed at dismantling Hamas’ military capabilities. The war has displaced hundreds of thousands in Gaza and led to widespread destruction of homes, schools, and infrastructure.
Despite international calls for a ceasefire, Israel has continued its offensive, saying that its goal is to completely destroy Hamas’ control over Gaza.
The conflict has drawn widespread international attention, with countries like the U.S., Egypt, Qatar, and others trying to mediate an end to the war. So far, no long-term solution has been agreed upon.
U.S. officials have warned that without a diplomatic resolution, the war could further destabilize the Middle East. Regional tensions are already rising, with skirmishes occurring near the Lebanese border, in the Red Sea, and with Iranian-backed militias in Iraq and Syria.
While Israel appears determined to continue its military campaign, many observers say the absence of a clear political plan for Gaza’s future remains a major obstacle to peace.
