The security cabinet voted Saturday night to increase military pressure on Hamas. Netanyahu spoke about the plan at the beginning of the weekly cabinet meeting in Jerusalem, “On the one hand, it crushes Hamas’s military and governmental capabilities, and on the other hand, it creates the conditions for the release of our hostages.”
Netanyahu added there were three Hamas “false claims” about Israel’s negotiating tactics. First, contrary to what the terrorist organization has claimed, Israel is continuing to negotiate, and that Hamas negotiating “under fire” makes it more effective. He continued, “We see that there are suddenly cracks.”
On Saturday, media in the region claimed Hamas had agreed to an Egyptian proposal to release five living hostages in exchange for a 50-day ceasefire in Gaza. However, Israel is insisting on the return of 10 or 11 living hostages to resume the truce, based on a previous proposal by US Mideast envoy Steve Witkoff.
Later in the day, Israel confirmed it had received the proposal from mediating countries and sent a counterproposal “in full coordination with the US,” adding that the country’s leadership was willing to discuss “the final stage” of a hostage release-ceasefire deal with Hamas. The Palestinian terrorist organization has yet to agree to Israel’s demands.
Netanyahu addressed Hamas’ second lie on Sunday, “We are ready. Hamas will lay down its weapons. Its leaders will be allowed to leave [Gaza]. We will take care of general security in the Gaza Strip and enable the implementation of the Trump plan, the voluntary immigration plan. That’s the plan. We’re not hiding it.”
He added, referring to President Donald Trump’s plan for the US to “take over” Gaza and turn it into the “Riviera of the Middle East,” while relocating Palestinians to other Arab countries, noting that Israel “is ready to discuss it at any time.”
Netanyahu said, regarding the third Hamas lie, that he doesn’t care about the hostages, “This is what Hamas puts in its propaganda films in order to create division within us.”
He added that Israel is “committed to bringing back the hostages,” noting that the combination of military and diplomatic pressure is the only thing that has worked, and “not all the empty claims and slogans that I hear in the [TV] studios from the experts.”
Hamas refused to release more hostages and extend the first phase of the ceasefire deal. In response, Israel resumed military operations in the Gaza Strip on March 18. According to The Times of Israel, the end of the ceasefire in Gaza has sparked fears among hostage families that their relatives will be in increased danger of being killed in an airstrike or by their Palestinian captors when IDF troops approach their location.
Netanyahu said of Israel’s increase in attacks against Lebanon that the country ruled by Hezbollah “…is responsible for what comes out of its territory, and it must ensure that… no attacks against Israel come out of its territory,” referring to rocket fire over the last week.
The Israeli leader also thanked the US for carrying out strikes against the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen, who have been attacking shipping in the Red Sea and launching ballistic missiles at the Jewish state. Netanyahu said, “We always value alliances. We have an alliance with the greatest power in the world, and it stands behind us there and in other arenas without reservation, and with the full appreciation of the citizens and the government of Israel.”
