Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to step up pressure on Hamas as he promised to return hostages and ensure security in Gaza. Despite a proposed ceasefire by mediators Egypt and Qatar, Netanyahu rejected assertions that Israel was not negotiating, saying it was conducting talks under fire.
Netanyahu demanded that Hamas disarm and for its leaders to leave Gaza, while claiming that Israel would work to implement the US President Donald Trump’s “voluntary emigration plan” for Gaza. However, no country has agreed to take in the 2.3 million population of Gaza.
The Israeli campaign in Gaza has resulted in over 50,000 Palestinian deaths and devastating much of the coastal enclave. Palestinian health authorities reported at least 24 people, including several children, killed in Israeli strikes on Sunday during the Muslim Eid al-Fitr holiday.
Netanyahu rejected claims that his military actions were undermining Israeli democracy, citing the return of hostages as evidence. The Palestinian Red Crescent Service said it had recovered 13 bodies from the scene of a rescue mission where Israeli forces came under fire.
As protests continue in Israel against government actions, Netanyahu remains committed to crushing Hamas’s military and government capacities.
Source: https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/israeli-pm-netanyahu-vows-pressure-hamas-after-ceasefire-proposal-2025-03-30