Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Monday that "Israel will not agree to a cessation of hostilities." He stressed at a press conference that "calls for a ceasefire are calls for Israel to surrender to Hamas ... to terrorism... to barbarism." Netanyahu pointed out that "Israel will fight until this battle is won" and that "this is a time for war ... for our common future."
Ground operations the Israeli military is carrying out are putting "pressure" on Hamas and could provide a "possibility of getting our hostages out" as the group would not set them free without being pressured, the prime minister noted. He reiterated that Gaza civilians should move to safe zones in the southeastern part of the enclave and that Hamas should allow them to do so.
