WASHINGTON: Israel鈥檚 Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ruled out a cease-fire in Gaza on Thursday, saying the military was performing 鈥渆xceptionally well,鈥� but insisted Israel does not plan to reoccupy the Palestinian territory.
鈥淎 ceasefire with Hamas means surrender,鈥� he told Fox News, adding there was no 鈥渢imetable鈥� for the military offensive.
鈥淚 think the Israeli army is performing exceptionally well,鈥� he added.
鈥淗owever long it takes, we鈥檒l do it.鈥�
Israel has vowed to destroy Hamas after the militant group poured across the border from Gaza on October 7, killing 1,400 people, mostly civilians and taking around 240 people hostage, according to Israel.
The retaliatory aerial bombing and ground offensive has killed more than 10,800 people in Gaza, mostly civilians and many of them children, according to the Hamas-run health ministry.
Netanyahu said Israel has no plans to remain in Gaza longterm.
鈥淲e don鈥檛 seek to govern Gaza. We don鈥檛 seek to occupy it, but we seek to give it and us a better future,鈥� he said, adding that Israel does not 鈥渟eek to displace anyone.鈥�
Pushed on his plan for Gaza鈥檚 future, he said the impoverished and blockaded territory must be 鈥渄emilitarised, deradicalized and rebuilt.鈥�
鈥淲e鈥檒l have to find a government, a civilian government that will be there,鈥� he added, without detailing who might form such a government.
And he said Israeli forces would have to remain ready to reenter Gaza and 鈥渒ill the killers.鈥�
鈥淭hat鈥檚 what will prevent the reemergence of a Hamas-like entity.鈥�
The October 7 attack and subsequent conflict came as Israel moved closer to a peace deal with 黑料社区, building on the so-called Abraham accords that normalized ties with several Arab countries.
Netanyahu insisted the conflict would not torpedo diplomatic momentum and that conditions would be 鈥渞ipe鈥� for negotiations to resume after Israel destroys Hamas.
鈥淚 think conditions will be ripe. In fact, after a victory, I think they鈥檒l be even riper.鈥�