Netanyahu vows to keep Israeli forces in Gaza amid efforts for cease-fire deal

By Abdelraouf Arnaout

JERUSALEM (AA) – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday vowed that his government will not withdraw from the Gaza Strip amid efforts for a cease-fire deal with Hamas.

"We will not remove the IDF [Israeli army] from the Gaza Strip and we will not release thousands of terrorists,” Netanyahu said as he visited the Israeli settlement of Eli in the occupied West Bank.

"I am committed to it, our fighters are committed to it, and the absolute majority of the people are committed to it. We will not settle for less than total victory," he said.

The Israeli premier said he will not stop the Gaza war until the "elimination of Hamas, the return of all our hostages, and the promise that Gaza will no longer pose a threat to Israel."

The White House said Monday that negotiators seeking to broker a deal for the release of additional hostages held by Hamas have developed a “framework” that could lead to an eventual deal.

According to Israeli newspaper Haaretz, the proposal includes the release of 35 Israeli hostages in return for a 6-week cease-fire in Gaza and the release of thousands of Palestinian detainees.

On Tuesday, Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh confirmed that his group is studying a proposal for a cease-fire deal with Israel.

Hamas is believed to be holding nearly 136 Israelis following its cross-border attack on Oct. 7.

Israel has launched a deadly offensive on the Gaza Strip since Oct. 7, killing at least 26,751 Palestinians and injuring 65,636. Nearly 1,200 Israelis are believed to have been killed in the Hamas attack.

The Israeli offensive has left 85% of Gaza’s population internally displaced amid acute shortages of food, clean water and medicine, while 60% of the enclave’s infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed, according to the UN.

*Writing by Ahmed Asmar