The Prime Minister's office on Saturday issued a statement saying there will not be an end to war without Israel's objectives achieved. "Israel's conditions for ending the war have not changed: The destruction of Hamas military and governing capabilities, the freeing of all hostages and ensuring that Gaza no longer poses a threat to Israel," the statement issued by the Prime Minister's office read.
"Under the proposal, Israel will continue to insist these conditions are met before a permanent ceasefire is put in place. The notion that Israel will agree to a permanent ceasefire before these conditions are fulfilled is a non-starter.
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Benjamin Netanyahu, Joe Biden
(Photo: Ronen Zvulun / Reuters, Elizabeth Frantz / Reuters)
The statement, the second made by the PMO, came less than a day after U.S. President Joe Biden said that Israel had proposed a three-phased path to end the war, that the United States supported and that the mediating countries: Qatar and Egypt have been given to propose to the Hamas.
In its first response, shortly after Biden's speech, the PMO said that the Israeli government was united in its desire to return the hostages as soon as possible and was working to achieve this goal.
"The Prime Minister authorized the negotiating team to present a proposal to that end, which would also enable Israel to continue the war until all its objectives are achieved, including the destruction of Hamas's military and governing capabilities. The actual proposal put forward by Israel, including the conditional transition from one phase to the next, allows Israel to uphold these principles."
The apparent difference between the announcements made on behalf of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appears to highlight the position that despite the possible interpretation of Biden's words to mean that Israel would agree to Hamas remaining in power after the war, that was not the Israeli position.
In his speech on Friday, Biden appealed to the Israeli public to pressure its leaders to go forward with their proposal, despite the objection from Netanyahu's far-right coalition partners, as well as the more extreme members of his own Likud Party.
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U.S. President Joe Biden presents Israel's proposal for an agreement to end the war in Gaza
(Photo: Evan Vucci / AP)
“Indefinite war in pursuit of an unidentified notion of ‘total victory’ will only bog down Israel in Gaza, draining military, economic and human resources and further Israel’s isolation in the world,” Biden said alluding to the promise Netanyahu had made. “That will not bring hostages home. That will not bring an enduring defeat of Hamas. That will not bring Israel lasting security.”