Netanyahu Vows to Continue War on Gaza as Hamas Accuses Him of Undermining Ceasefire
As Israel resumes airstrikes, Hamas says Netanyahu rejected mediation efforts for personal and political reasons.
Watan-As the Israeli occupation resumed its war on Gaza with intense airstrikes that resulted in the deaths of hundreds of civilians, most of them children, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that the strikes launched early Tuesday were “just the beginning.” He claimed that the decision to resume the war was made after Hamas “rejected all proposals,” adding, “From now on, negotiations will take place under fire.”
He further asserted: “For weeks, we have been working toward a single goal: bringing back our hostages. We extended the ceasefire, sent delegations, presented proposals through mediators, and even agreed to the proposal put forward by U.S. envoy Steve Wietckoff.”
Netanyahu argued that military pressure was “essential” to ensuring the return of captives held in Gaza, emphasizing that Israel would continue its military operations until it eliminated the threat posed by the Palestinian movement. He stated: “We will continue fighting to achieve all the objectives of the war. Gaza will no longer pose a threat to Israel.”
Hamas Accuses Netanyahu of Sabotaging Ceasefire Talks
Meanwhile, Hamas spokesperson Abdel Latif al-Qanou’ said that Hamas has remained committed to completing the agreement, but Netanyahu overturned the deal due to his personal interests and in an attempt to escape his political crises.
Qanou’ added that mediators are fully aware of Hamas’ adherence to the agreement’s terms despite Netanyahu’s delays and reversal, and they should expose this reality to the world. Regarding the impact of the military escalation on negotiations, he asserted that the military approach has failed to retrieve captives and that the only option left for Israel is to halt the war and implement the ceasefire agreement.
Reports indicate that Egypt has presented a new ceasefire proposal for Gaza. The proposal seeks to bridge the gaps between a previous deal—accepted by Hamas—that included the release of U.S.-Israeli soldier Alexander Aidan and five bodies of captives, and a separate proposal by U.S. envoy Steve Wietckoff, which called for the release of half of the living captives and half of the bodies held by the resistance.
