In an unusual move, Benjamin Netanyahu addressed the Israeli people on Saturday evening, at the end of the Sabbath. This suggested that he was about to talk about a very serious matter. What did he say?

He denied any possibility of a prisoner exchange deal and announced that he would continue the war with greater force until Hamas is eliminated, and complete victory is achieved, in order to prevent a repeat of what happened on 7 October, 2023. He claimed that Hamas did not want a deal, and that it was the one creating obstacles by requiring the withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Gaza Strip. He said that this wouldn’t happen because if they were to withdraw, what would’ve been the point of going in?

This is his response to the recordings released by the resistance movement from time to time, which aim to mobilise the Israeli public to put pressure on the occupation government and Trump to reach a deal to end the war. It is also a response to the families of the captives and prisoners who are demanding a deal and claim that increased military pressure will force Hamas to accept Netanyahu’s conditions, which are the release of the captives, the disarming of Hamas and unconditional surrender.

“Disarmament” has become a pretext for continuing the war on several fronts. In Lebanon, the Israeli prime minister is demanding that Hezbollah’s heavy weapons be handed over and that the Lebanese state does the same. He wants to see a Lebanese civil war allowing him to remain in strategic positions in the south. He is also........

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