Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that Israel is prepared to resume military operations in Gaza if negotiations under a proposed 60-day ceasefire fail to produce a deal that meets Israel’s conditions for a permanent end to the war with Hamas.

Speaking from Washington in a video message at the end of what he called a ‘historic visit’ following ‘the historic victory in the war against Iran,’ Netanyahu outlined the delicate balance between diplomacy and military resolve as Israel seeks to recover the remaining hostages and dismantle Hamas’s military structure.

“We are currently trying to achieve the release of half of the living and deceased hostages, in exchange for a temporary 60-day ceasefire,” Netanyahu said. “At the beginning of this ceasefire, we will enter negotiations on a permanent end to the war. That means a permanent ceasefire.”

But Netanyahu warned that the talks must yield concrete outcomes under Israel’s “minimum conditions,” including the complete demilitarisation of Gaza and Hamas laying down its weapons.

“If it is not achieved through negotiations in 60 days,” he added, “we will achieve it in other ways; through the application of force, the force of our heroic army.”

‘PAINFUL PRICES’ BUT ‘GREAT ACHIEVEMENTS’

Netanyahu also struck a defiant tone while acknowledging the costs of the war. “We have very great achievements in the fight against terror,” he said, referring to operations in Gaza and the West Bank, “but there are also painful prices.”

Netanyahu met with the families of hostages — both deceased and surviving — and brought them to Washington for the conclusion of the visit. “This does not end the affair,” he said, promising to “bring them all back.”

He emphasised that Israel had already proven its resolve, citing the resumption of fighting after earlier truces. “They told us ‘You won’t return to war’… we returned,” he said. “After the second ceasefire, we returned. After a third ceasefire — do you want me to continue?”

Netanyahu defended Israel’s pace in achieving its military goals, saying the Gaza battlefield presented challenges no army had faced before. “Thanks to the bravery of the fighters… we have dismantled most of Hamas’s military capabilities. But not all of them.”

He also referenced tensions with Washington over military operations, particularly US objections to Israeli incursions into Rafah and along the Egypt-Gaza border. “We overcame that too, and now we want to complete the move,” he said.

As Israel prepares for the possibility of renewed combat, Netanyahu framed the next phase as a race between diplomacy and force. “We want to act through a combination of diplomacy and military force,” he said, “and military force if diplomacy doesn’t work.”

The prime minister left little doubt about his bottom line: “One way or another, (Hamas’s elimination and Gaza’s demilitarization) will be achieved.”

– Ends

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