Hanegbi: Israel not currently engaged in ceasefire talks but end of fighting in ‘our interest’

National Security Adviser Tzachi Hanegbi says Israel is not currently engaged in talks on a ceasefire, with the current focus on striking the Gaza-based Palestinian Islamic Jihad terror group.

Hanegbi touts the “unprecedented” operation in Gaza over the past several days, noting the killing of numerous top PIJ members.

“The Egyptians are trying,” he says at a cultural event in Mevaseret Zion, referring to Cairo’s efforts to broker an end to the fighting. “They want to stop the violence and prevent an escalation. That’s also our interest.”

He also says Israel achieved its goals “in the first seconds” of the operation, referring to the initial assassination of three senior Islamic Jihad officials.

“Everything that’s been going on since requires us to act because they’re firing on us,” he adds.