Netanyahu ruled out a cessation of hostilities without the release of the hostages.

Israel is not a party preventing the conclusion of a ceasefire deal in the Gaza Strip in exchange for the release of hostages, but without the release of the hostages there will be no ceasefire, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday.

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“I have made it clear to the international community that there will be no ceasefire without the return of those abducted. It simply will not happen. This is the policy of the Israeli government, and I welcome the fact that the (Joe) Biden administration recently made it clear that it remains committed to this same position,” Netanyahu said at the beginning of Sunday’s meeting of the military-political cabinet.

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According to the prime minister, the party obstructing the deal is the Palestinian Hamas movement, not Israel.

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“The extreme demands of (Hamas) are to end the war and leave it (Hamas) intact, to ensure its survival, rehabilitation and ability to endanger our citizens and our soldiers. Submitting to Hamas’ demands will allow them to try to repeat crimes such as the attack October 7, again and again, as promised,” Netanyahu stressed.