Netanyahu: No ceasefire unless Hamas releases hostages

Touring an Israeli Air Force base, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reiterates that Israel will not agree to a ceasefire in Gaza unless the Hamas terror group releases the hostages it is holding.

“Take this [word “ceasefire”] out of the lexicon. We say this to both our enemies and friends. We will continue until we defeat them; we do not have an alternative,” Netanyahu is quoted saying in a statement from his office.

Speaking with air force personnel, he also alludes to opposition in the ranks to his government’s now-paused judicial overhaul, which earlier this year drew protests from some reservists who announced they would stop reporting for volunteer reserve duty.

“Our enemies mistook us. They thought that on the crucial day, [soldiers] would not show up. We showed up together and now we are fighting shoulder to shoulder,” the premier says.