Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke by telephone with US President Joe Biden on Sunday evening, November 26. He reiterated his intention to continue his offensive in Gaza once the truce is over.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has informed US President Joe Biden that Israel will continue its operations “with full force” in Gaza after the truce, during a phone call on Sunday evening, November 26.
“I spoke with President Biden and informed him that we will continue our operations in Gaza after the end of the truce”, said Netanyahu. “Our aim is to eliminate Hamas, recover the hostages and neutralize any threat from Gaza”, he added.
However, Netanyahu welcomes the possibility of releasing 10 hostages for every additional day of the truce in case of it extension.
He also agreed with Biden to complete work together to ensure the release of all hostages.
Israel has faced mounting pressure to extend the four-day pause mediated by Qatar, the United States and Egypt.
A source close to Hamas said the Islamist movement, which has an armed wing, was willing to prolong the pause.
Israeli leaders, however, have tempered hopes of a lasting halt to the offensive.
“We continue until the end — until victory,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in Gaza on Sunday.
Wearing green military fatigues and surrounded by soldiers, he vowed to free all the hostages and “eliminate Hamas”, in footage posted online by his office.
He spoke while making the first visit to Gaza by an Israeli premier since 2005.
“Nothing will stop us, and we are convinced that we have the power, the strength, the will and the determination to achieve all the war’s goals, and we will,” Netanyahu said.
In the southern Gaza city of Khan Yunis, residents received a text message from Israeli forces that said they know hostages are being held there.
“The army will neutralise anyone who has kidnapped hostages,” the message said.
With AFP
