Prime Minister Netanyahu’s Actions Lead Hamas to Negotiations for Hostage Release

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office announced that his firm policies on military actions in Gaza have led Hamas to return to negotiations for the release of Israeli hostages. The Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) stated, “The Prime Minister’s steadfast position against the attempt to halt IDF (Israel Defence Forces) action in Rafah is what has led Hamas to enter negotiations.”

The PMO listed the agreed principles as follows:

• Any deal will allow Israel to resume fighting until all war objectives are achieved.
• There will be no smuggling of weapons to Hamas from Egypt to the Gaza border.
• There will be no return of thousands of armed terrorists to the northern Gaza Strip.
• Israel will maximize the number of living hostages released from Hamas captivity.

The PMO added, “The plan that has been agreed to by Israel and which has been welcomed by President Biden will allow Israel to return hostages without infringing on the other objectives of the war.”