Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (Reuters)
Middle East
As the Israeli army continues to fight in and around Gaza City, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reiterated that a ceasefire in the Strip means surrender to Hamas, adding that there will be no ceasefire without the release of detained prisoners in the Palestinian Strip.
He also said: “We do not seek to rule or occupy Gaza,” indicating that the fight against Hamas in Gaza will continue, although it will include safe passage for civilians away from the fighting sites, US network Fox News reported. reported Friday.
He continued: “We set targets for war without a timetable because it may take longer.”
No intention to force Israel
Meanwhile, American officials said Israel is ready to extend the ceasefire if there is an agreement to free Hamas prisoners, Axios reported.
They also made it clear that Washington does not intend to force Israel into a ceasefire, stressing that American pressure pushed Israel to agree to a “tactical cessation” of fighting in Gaza.
4 hours
This morning the White House announced that Israel will begin implementing a four-hour daily truce in the northern Gaza Strip to allow residents to flee hostilities.
US National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters the truces were “major steps forward” at a time when the northern Strip city of Gaza is the scene of violent battles.
He also added: “Israel will begin implementing these truces for a period of four hours a day in the northern areas of Gaza, announcing them three hours in advance.”
Your browser does not support HTML5 videos
Tactical stop
But Israeli army spokesman Richard Hecht appears to downplay the importance of these temporary truces. “This is not a change” in Israeli policy, he told reporters, adding: “These are tactical and local temporary pauses in humanitarian aid, and they are time and place specific.”
War erupted between Israel and Palestinian factions in Gaza after Hamas fighters carried out a surprise attack on October 7 on Israeli military bases and settlements in the Gaza Strip, killing 1,400 people and arresting about 240, according to Israeli officials.
Meanwhile, Israeli forces launched intense airstrikes and heavy shelling on the besieged Gaza Strip, killing around 11,000 people, most of them women and children.