Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says in a video statement that Israel completely rejects Hamas’s demands for “surrender” in exchange for releasing the remaining 136 hostages in Gaza.
“We brought home so far 110 hostages, and we are committed to bringing them all back,” says Netanyahu. “I am working on this around the clock. But let it be clear: I reject outright the terms of surrender of the Hamas monsters.”
The prime minister says in exchange for releasing the hostages, “Hamas is demanding the end of the war, the exit of our forces from Gaza, releasing all the murderers and rapists of the Nukhba [forces] and leaving Hamas intact.”
Netanyahu adds that “if we agree to this, our soldiers fell in vain. If we agree to this, we cannot guarantee security for our citizens. We cannot bring the evacuees home safely, and the next October 7 will be just a matter of time. I am not able to agree to such a fatal blow to Israeli security, and therefore I cannot agree to that.”
The prime minister says he made Israel’s stance on this issue clear to US President Biden when they spoke over the weekend.
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From the Liveblog of
Sunday, January 21, 2024
