Netanyahu: Negotiations with Hamas will continue under fire
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stressed on Monday that Hamas’s announcement of its intention to release Israeli-US hostage Edan Alexander won’t be met with a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip or the release of Palestinian prisoners.
Netanyahu said in a statement issued by his office that negotiations aimed at reaching a possible agreement to secure the release of all hostages in Gaza will continue under fire, while preparations are underway for an escalation of the fighting.
Hamas announced on Sunday that it would release Alexander, an US-Israeli soldier held captive in Gaza, while revealing that its holding direct talks with the United States aimed at reaching a ceasefire in the Strip.
Netanyahu said, “Israel isn’t bound by any ceasefire or the release of terrorists, but is only bound by the establishment of a safe passage that would allow for Edan’s release”.
He added that the pledge to release Edan Alexander only came after military pressure in the Gaza Strip.
He continued, “We’re living through critical days during which an agreement has been offered to Hamas that would allow for the release of our hostages”.
The latest developments come shortly after two Hamas leaders announced that Hamas officials had held direct talks with the United States in Doha, and that some progress had been made regarding the entry of aid into Gaza and ceasefire negotiations.
It’s worth noting that Palestinian factions, Hamas and Islamic Jihad, have 58 hostages since the October 7, 2023, attack that sparked the war, including 34 who the Israeli military says were killed.
