Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated it was his hope that he would be able to announce the return of the remaining Gaza hostages over Sukkot during his Saturday address.
Netanyahu also added that it was a “complete lie” that Hamas was ready a year ago to release all the hostages.
The prime minster said his critics claimed that “Hamas was ready a year or even two years ago to free all our hostages without a full [IDF] withdrawal from Gaza. That’s a complete lie. What brought about the change in the position of Hamas was nothing but the military and political pressure that we exerted.”
Netanyahu said that had the war ended any earlier, Israel could not have assisted in toppling the “Assad regime, and [removing] the existential threat of nuclear bombs and ballistic missiles from Iran.
“Everything we have achieved, we have achieved thanks to all of you,” he said.
Netanyahu said that Israel as a whole has pushed back its enemies’ plans of destruction.
“From Gaza to Rafah, from Beirut to Damascus, from Yemen to Tehran, together we have achieved great achievements. From victory to victory, we are changing the face of the Middle East.”
Netanyahu said that in the second phase of the deal, “Hamas will be disarmed, and the Gaza Strip will be demilitarized,” adding that “it will happen either diplomatically, according to the Trump plan, or militarily, by us.”
Ben-Gvir, Smotrich oppose deal
Prior to the address, Netanyahu summoned National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich.
Following the meeting, Ben-Gvir released a statement saying that if Hamas were to continue to exist, he would leave the government, but only after the release of all the hostages.
“Alongside the important goal of freeing the hostages, the main objective of the war, which stems from the October 7 massacre carried out by the Hamas monsters, is that the terrorist organization Hamas cannot remain in existence. It must be destroyed,” he said.
"The Prime Minister's decision to halt the attack in Gaza and conduct negotiations for the first time not under fire is a grave mistake," Smotrich stated.
"It is a sure recipe for time-wasting on Hamas's part and for the progressively increasing erosion of the Israeli position, both with regard to the release of the hostages in one go within 72 hours and with regard to the central war aim of eliminating Hamas and fully disarming Gaza."