"The idea that we will stop the war before achieving all its aims is not an option," Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyhau assured Tuesday to the two main civil organizations that represent the families of the hostages who remain in Gaza in the hands of the terrorist group Hamas.
The Likud leader assured that, whether or not there is a truce with Hamas, the Israel Defense Forces will enter Rafah, the last stronghold in southern Gaza. "We will enter Rafah and we will eliminate the Hamas battalions there — whether or not there is a deal — in order to achieve total victory," Netanyahu said in statements reported by The Times of Israel.
Netanyahu's stance was, according to a statement from his own cabinet, satisfactorily received by the organizations that represent the families. These groups asked the Israeli government to continue its war campaign in the Gaza Strip until the end. It also comes after a meeting between Netanyahu and National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, Netanyahu's government partner, who has asked not to give any concessions to Hamas and continue with the war.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met today, at the Prime Minister's Office in Jerusalem, with representatives of hostages' families and bereaved families from the "Heroism" forum and the "Hope" forum.https://t.co/ZtVYzWnf0U pic.twitter.com/zmVkBA4VXw
— Prime Minister of Israel (@IsraeliPM) April 30, 2024
After this information reached the media, it was learned that the war cabinet meeting planned for Tuesday was cancelled. This is due, according to The Times of Israel, to the different positions taken by members of the coalition government led by Benjamin Netanyahu. Several wings of the government oppose a possible truce with Hamas, which the international community previously urged Hamas to accept.
Conservative members of the government coalition fear that Netanyahu will not keep his word and that a truce will now completely stop the IDF's advance in Rafah. On the opposite front, Minister Benny Gantz, who has a vote in the war cabinet, which includes him, Yoav Gallant and Netanyahu, maintained that rejecting an agreement for the release of the hostages that has the approval of the intelligence services would mean a defeat for the government.
Prime Minister Netanyahu:
"The idea that we will halt the war before achieving all of its goals is out of the question. We will enter Rafah and we will eliminate the Hamas battalions there – with or without a deal, in order to achieve the total victory." pic.twitter.com/1d7SCYWJIP— Prime Minister of Israel (@IsraeliPM) April 30, 2024
International community supports the truce
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke Monday about a possible truce between Israel and Hamas. At an economic forum held this week in Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia, Washington's diplomatic leader urged the terrorist group to accept Israel's conditions and establish a cessation of hostilities in Gaza. Blinken assured in Riyadh that Israel's offers are "extraordinarily generous," taking into account the context in which the conflict is taking place.
According to The New York Times, several official Israeli sources have assured that Netanyahu's government initially asked Hamas to release 40 hostages. However, Israel lowered its minimum to 33 hostages, after obtaining intelligence confirming the deaths of some of the hostages on the initial list proposed to the terrorist group.
These 33 hostages whose release was requested were chosen, according to New York Times sources, based on humanitarian criteria that prioritize young people, women and people with fragile medical conditions.
As was learned through statements by British Foreign Secretary David Cameron, the truce would also contemplate the release of hundreds of Palestinians sentenced to prison in Israel. This type of release of criminals prosecuted by Israel occurred in the previous cessation of hostilities.
Along with this, Cameron assured in statements collected by AFP that the duration of the truce could reach 40 days. "I hope Hamas do take this deal and frankly, all the pressure in the world and all the eyes in the world should be on them today saying, 'Take that deal,'" the British conservative said during the Riyadh forum.
European Union announces possible recognition of Palestine
Meanwhile, E.U. High Representative for Foreign Policy Josep Borrell assured in the same economic forum that Blinken attended that some European countries could recognize the State of Palestine.
In The Hague, the international judicial process of the International Criminal Court (ICC) could in turn make it difficult for the parties to reach a ceasefire, according to Bloomberg sources. Several high-ranking officials in Washington assured the media that the ICC could soon issue arrest warrants against Israeli government officials due to complaints against Israel regarding the war in Gaza.
