Netanyahu added that the security cabinet had decided on Saturday to increase operations against Hamas.
The military pressure Israel is applying on Hamas is working, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said at a government meeting on Sunday.
Netanyahu added that the security cabinet had decided on Saturday to increase operations against Hamas.
This comes amid Israel’s Operation Strength and Sword initiated by the IDF earlier in March, which saw the military renew strikes on the Gaza Strip. Later in March, the military said it had four separate forces operating in each of Gaza’s main regions.
“It’s working because it operates simultaneously: on one hand, it crushes Hamas’s military and governmental capabilities, and on the other, it creates the conditions for the release of our hostages. That’s exactly what we’re doing,” Netanyahu added.
“We are committed to bringing the hostages back, and we are working to bring the hostages back. To this day, the combination of military and diplomatic pressure is the only thing that has led to the return of hostages,” Netanyahu further noted.
Future of Gaza Strip
The prime minister addressed the future of the Gaza Strip following the Israel-Hamas War. “Hamas will lay down its arms, its leaders will be allowed to leave,” Netanyahu remarked.
“We will ensure overall security in Gaza and enable the implementation of the Trump Plan—voluntary emigration. That’s the plan. We’re not hiding it and are ready to discuss it at any time,” he added.
The mother of Gaza hostage Matan Zangauker, Einav, commented on Netanyahu’s statement. “A prime minister who truly cared about the hostages would have made sure they were all home long ago,” she noted.
“The one responsible for applying military pressure that led to the deaths of 41 hostages in captivity continues trying to sell the public the idea that ‘military pressure’ will bring them back,” she added.