Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that Israel is close to achieving complete victory in Gaza and declined Hamas’ latest ceasefire offer aimed at securing the release of hostages. Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, currently on his fifth visit to the Middle East since the conflict’s onset, urged Israel to prioritize the safety of civilians in Gaza.
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Victory is within reach: Netanyahu
“We are on the way to complete victory. The victory is within reach,” said Netanyahu, during a press conference, adding that the war will be won in a “matter of months” not years.
“There is no other solution besides absolute victory.” He also said surrendering to Hamas’ “delusional demands” would spell disaster and only “invite an additional slaughter”.
“The day after is the day after Hamas. All of Hamas,” said Netanyahu.
Hamas called for a ceasefire, the end of the Israeli-Egyptian blockade on Gaza, and the release of Palestinian prisoners, on Tuesday (Feb 6) in response to a recent United States-backed proposal to free hostages in return for pausing the Gaza war with Israel.
According to a draft document of Hamas’ counter proposal seen by Reuters, the Palestinian militant group envisions three phases of ceasefire lasting 45 days each for four-and-a-half months, which would allow them to exchange remaining Israeli hostages for Palestinian prisoners.
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Hamas responds
Senior Hamas official, Sami Abu Zuhri called the Israeli PM’s statement “political bravado” which showed the Israeli leader’s intention to continue the conflict in the region, as per Reuters.
Meanwhile, another Hamas official, Osama Hamdan said a delegation of the militant group led by senior Hamas official Khalil Al-Hayya would travel to Cairo on Thursday (Feb 8) to pursue ceasefire talks with mediators Egypt and Qatar.
Hamdan, a senior Lebanon-based official of Hamas told a news conference in Beirut, said that Netanyahu’s “insistence on continuing the aggression totally confirms that the goal of the aggression on Gaza is genocide against the Palestinian people”
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