Israeli spokesperson has reiterated that there will be no cease-fire until Hamas is destroyed. An Israeli government’s spokesperson, Eylon Levy while responding to a question regarding a temporary cease-fire has sternly turned down all chances of a temporary cease-fire.
Elyon was asked by an international news outlet if Israel would agree to a ceasefire at some stage. He said this would not happen, not until Hamas was destroyed, further adding that a cease-fire was in place until October 7, when Hamas attacked southern Israel. Hamas “broke the ceasefire” when it “murdered 1,400 people and retreated back to the Gaza Strip”, Elyon said.
“We will not consider any ceasefire no matter how temporary, without the return of our hostages,” he said. This statement comes amidst calls for a temporary cease-fire from the international community. “There was a ceasefire on 6 October. Hamas broke it. It brutally murdered 1,400 people and then retreated back to the Gaza Strip. A ceasefire would literally let Hamas get away with murder. It would leave it free to do it again.”
Elyon Levy went on to clarify that Israel would not opt for a cease-fire until it has achieved its “war goals of destroying Hamas so it can never again hurt our people and never again perpetrate what it did on 7 October”. The Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu, on Sunday, demanded the return of all the hostages being held by Hamas since October 7, rejecting calls for a temporary cease-fire. “There will be no ceasefire without the return of the hostages. This should be completely removed from the lexicon,” Netanyahu said. “We say this to our friends and to our enemies. We will simply continue until we defeat them. We have no alternative,” he stated.
The IDF has penetrated deep into Gaza, surrounding Gaza City while engaging Hamas militants in a close urban combat. The Israeli military has used a combination of ground troops together with the airforce and navy to pound Hamas in Gaza. The IDF has deepened its incursions into the Gaza Strip, aiming to annihilate Hamas command and control systems and infrastructure.
