Netanyahu Rejects Hamas Proposal, Calls It a Defeat and Insists on Military and Diplomatic Pressure

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed a senior IDF command forum on Monday regarding proposals to secure the release of hostages held by Hamas. He criticized a plan that involved releasing hostages in exchange for an Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, calling it "a huge defeat" and "surrendering to Hamas's dictates." Netanyahu explained that some believed accepting Hamas's terms, withdrawal in return for all hostages, would be a major victory, but he strongly disagreed, stating it would leave Hamas and its Iranian allies intact and armed.

Netanyahu emphasized that the only viable strategy to achieve the hostages' release was a combination of strong military pressure and diplomatic efforts, particularly involving the United States. He acknowledged that securing U.S. support was not always easy but insisted it was necessary. According to Netanyahu, accepting Hamas's proposal would have allowed Hamas leaders, including Yahya Sinwar and Ismail Haniyeh, as well as Iranian-backed figures like Nasrallah, Khamenei, and Assad, to remain in power with their military capabilities undiminished.

Concluding his remarks, Netanyahu expressed that he initially feared accepting the proposal would lead to disaster but believed Israel could still rescue all hostages through the alternative approach they ultimately pursued. He affirmed that Israel succeeded in this mission by combining military and diplomatic pressure rather than conceding to Hamas's demands.