Relatives of Israelis held captive by Hamas have booed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as he pledged not to “stop until victory.”
“We won’t stop fighting,” Netanyahu told a special session in the Israeli parliament (Knesset) focused on the captives on Monday, adding that “we need time.”
One relative reportedly called out in response from the Knesset gallery, “We don’t have time!” Thereafter, families chanted “Now! Now! Now!”
Netanyahu also said “We aren’t stopping and we won’t stop until victory because we have no other land and no other path,” to boos from the families.
ISRAELI CHANNEL 12 (citing official sources):
There are tensions at the highest level within the political and security establishments over the issues of Israeli detainees in the Gaza Strip.Netanyahu prevented his defense minister, Yoav Gallant, from holding one-on-one with… pic.twitter.com/9pBLIa3rIq
— The Palestine Chronicle (@PalestineChron) December 25, 2023
Some relatives reportedly held up signs that read: “What if it were your father…daughter…brother?”
“We wouldn’t be able to secure the release of hostages without military pressure,” the Israeli PM said.
He reportedly added that he had spoken to Israeli field commanders who said they needed “more time.”
TRT World reports that Netanyahu’s address followed a report by his Likud party that he visited Gaza on Monday and vowed to step up the army’s assault on the besieged Palestinian enclave.
According to a party statement, he said, “I just came back from Gaza,” the report states.
“We’re not stopping, we’re continuing to fight and we’re intensifying the fighting in the coming days. It’s going to be a long war that’s not close to ending,” he reportedly added.
ISRAELI CHANNEL 7: Former Israeli Chief of Staff Dan Halutz said that Israel lost the war against Hamas 81 days after it began, without achieving its declared goals.
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— The Palestine Chronicle (@PalestineChron) December 26, 2023
Ceasefire Proposal
A temporary ceasefire deal in late November, saw the release of 105 captives held by Hamas, while Israel freed 240 imprisoned Palestinians. Among the freed Palestinian detainees were 107 children, of whom three-quarters had reportedly not been convicted of a crime.
An Egyptian proposal for a ceasefire was put on the table a few days ago.
The proposal was made by the Egyptian mediators, who, along with Qataris mediated the previous truce. Hamas’ Ismail Haniyeh vowed to respond following discussions with the resistance movement’s leadership in Gaza.
Media reports suggest that while Israel accepts certain parts of the proposal, the government of Netanyahu rejects the final provisions regarding a permanent ceasefire. An official Israel position, however, is yet to be announced.
GAZA HEALTH MINISTRY:
20,915 Palestinians have been killed, and 54,918 wounded in Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza starting on October 7.
Israeli forces committed 18 massacres, claiming 241 martyrs and 382 injuries during the past 24 hours.
FOLLOW OUR LIVE BLOG:… pic.twitter.com/wHVZSi4rf0
— The Palestine Chronicle (@PalestineChron) December 26, 2023
November’s truce, which began on Friday, November 24, was extended twice, and collapsed on Friday, December 1, at 7 am local time.
According to Gaza’s Ministry of Health, 20,674 Palestinians have been killed, and 54,536 wounded in Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza starting on October 7. Palestinian and international estimates say that the majority of those killed and wounded are women and children.
(Palestine Chronicle, TRT)
They’ll just murder those hostages. the IDF are genocidal scumbags. Netanyahu should be handed over to the people of Palestine.