Tel Aviv: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has reaffirmed his commitment to ongoing military operations in Gaza, stating that Israel must continue its fight to ensure national survival, despite rising domestic and international criticism, according to a CNN report.
In a pre-recorded video address Saturday night, Netanyahu declared that Israel has “no choice” but to press on “for our very own existence until victory.” He emphasised the need for “perseverance and resilience” in defeating Hamas and securing the release of the 59 hostages still held in Gaza.
Netanyahu blamed Hamas’ rejection of Israel’s recent ceasefire proposal as a justification for continuing military actions. The Israeli plan reportedly demanded the disarmament of Gaza but did not include a permanent end to the war—conditions deemed unacceptable by Hamas, CNN noted.
“If we surrender to Hamas’s demands now, all the tremendous achievements gained by our soldiers, our fallen, and our wounded heroes—those achievements will simply be lost,” Netanyahu said.
However, his remarks were met with criticism from the Hostage Families Forum Headquarters, which accused the Prime Minister of lacking a concrete strategy for securing the hostages’ release.
“Many words and slogans will not succeed in hiding the simple truth — Netanyahu has no plan,” the group stated. “It’s no surprise there was no time for questions — otherwise, he would have had to answer the most basic one: What exactly is the State of Israel doing to immediately bring back all 59 hostages?”
In a growing sign of dissent, Israeli soldiers have also joined calls for an end to the war. Earlier this week, 150 members of the Golani Brigade added their names to petitions urging the government to pursue negotiations. This follows a wave of similar appeals signed by over 1,000 Israeli Air Force reservists and personnel across other military branches, including the Armoured Corps and Navy.
The rising internal pressure highlights the deepening divisions in Israel over the direction of the Gaza conflict.
