Netanyahu, leaving for DC: We’re working for Gaza deal on our terms, Hamas won’t be there; chance to greatly expand peace accords

Before boarding his flight to Washington, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says that Israel has an opportunity “to expand the circle of peace far beyond what we could have imagined.”

“We have already transformed the Middle East beyond recognition, and we now have a chance to bring a great future to the state of Israel, the people of Israel and the entire Middle East,” he says.

The premier also makes clear that Israel will not agree to a ceasefire and hostage release deal that ultimately allows Hamas to remain in the Gaza Strip. It is working for a deal “under the terms we agreed to,” he says.

He says that while in Washington, he will thank US President Donald Trump for his “strong support” during Israel’s 12-day war against “our mutual enemy” Iran last month, which resulted in a “tremendous victory” over the Islamic Republic.

Iran had set out the goal of destroying Israel, he says. “For years, we feared what we would do about Iran and whether we could overcome Iran. Our heroic pilots have flown in the skies of Iran,” he says, hailing the IDF, the Mossad and all branches of the security establishment.

Israel also operated over Lebanon, he notes. “There too, for years, we were worried about what Hezbollah would do and how we could overcome it. We overcame it.”

“We struck Hamas,” he adds.

“This creates great responsibility and opportunities,” says Netanyahu.

There is an obligation “to preserve the achievement” and to ensure that Iran does not restart its nuclear weapons efforts.

As for Gaza, Netanyahu says Israel has attained “great achievements” but still has “missions to complete. To date,” he says, “we have freed 205 of 255 hostages, 144 of them alive. Twenty living hostages remain and 30 who are fallen. I am determined, we are determined, to bring back all of them.”

“And we are determined to ensure that Gaza will no longer constitute a threat to Israel. That means, we will not allow a situation that encourages more kidnappings, more murders, more executions, more invasions,” he says, as Israel’s negotiating team travels to Doha for indirect talks with Hamas. “That means one thing: eliminating Hamas’s military and governing capabilities. Hamas will not be there.”

“I am committed to both those missions, or really three missions,” he goes on: “The release and return of all the hostages, the living and the fallen; the destruction of Hamas’s capabilities – to kick it out of there, and to ensure that Gaza will no longer constitute a threat to Israel.”

“We’ve achieved and will achieve all those things thanks to the courage of our warriors,” he concludes, as well as the Israeli people’s resilience, and “as a result of the correct, courageous decisions that we took thanks to the support of the citizens of Israel for the people’s army.”

Asked whether there will be a hostage release deal this week, Netanyahu turns back to the reporters — something he rarely does – and says: “We are working to reach this deal under the terms we have agreed to.”

“I sent a team to the negotiations with clear directives,” he says. “I think the conversation with President Trump can certainly help advance the outcome we are all hoping for.”