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Eighteen months into the devastating genocide that has killed over 50.000 Palestinians and left Gaza in ruins, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared on Sunday, March 31, that the “military pressure is working.”
In a video message, Netanyahu justified the ongoing assaults on Gaza, claiming that they serve a dual purpose: “On the one hand, it crushes Hamas’ military and governmental capabilities, and on the other hand, it creates the conditions for the release of our hostages.”
Despite international calls for a ceasefire, Netanyahu has insisted that Israel will, somehow, continue its military operations while negotiating, saying that talks will take place “under fire.”
His remarks make clear that Israel has no intention of ending its assault and instead aims to impose conditions that include the forced displacement of Palestinians from Gaza.
He stated that Hamas would have to surrender its weapons and leave Gaza, adding, “We will ensure general security in the Gaza Strip and enable the implementation of the Trump plan, the voluntary immigration plan,” he said in reference to US President Donald Trump’s widely condemned proposal for the mass expulsion of Palestinians.
Netanyahu’s comments were framed as a response to an Israeli captive’s plea, in which the person expressed fear of being killed by Israeli airstrikes. Rather than addressing the hostage’s concerns and engaging in the ceasefire negotiations, Netanyahu used the moment to justify the ongoing bombardment, a move many see as Netanyahu’s readiness to drag the entire region into oblivion to maintain his political power.
Meanwhile, Hamas reaffirmed its willingness to engage in ceasefire talks, announcing on Saturday that it had accepted a new proposal put forward by international mediators.
Netanyahu’s office confirmed it had received the proposal and said Israel had submitted a counterproposal, but the details of the latest mediation efforts remain undisclosed.
Israel has repeatedly undermined and blocked progress on the January 19 ceasefire deal that would have secured the release of Israeli captives, refusing to enter the second phase of the agreement, which required the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza.
