Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Tuesday that Israel would not release thousands of Palestinian prisoners in a deal to free Israeli hostages held by Hamas in Gaza.
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"That will not happen," he said Tuesday denying reports on Sky News in Arabic that the proposed deal that was devised in a meeting in Paris on Sunday with the heads of the CIA, Mossad and Egyptian intelligence as well as the Qatari prime minister, included the release of 35 hostages in the first phase, each for 100 to 200 prisoners.
Netanyahu's National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir said his party would resign from the coalition if such a deal is made and bring the government down.
“This is not another round, not another exchange of strikes, not another operation.” Rather, he said speaking to a paramilitary group on the West Bank, that Israel is insistent on “a complete victory.”
Netanyahu said he would settle for nothing less that that. “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.”
“Nothing less than that” will be acceptable, Netanyahu tells the Bnei David military academy in Eli. “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.
He went on to say that he too hears about all kinds of deals: "I would like to make it clear: We will not conclude this war without achieving all of its goals. This means eliminating Hamas, returning all of our hostages and ensuring that Gaza never again constitutes a threat to Israel. We will not withdraw the IDF from the Gaza Strip and we will not release thousands of terrorists. None of this will happen. What will happen? Total victory!"
Earlier, the head of the Hamas political bureau Ismail Haniyeh said he would be heading to Cairo to discuss the proposed agreed to in Paris. He did not reject a deal outright. Israeli officials believe the answer from Hamas could come as early as Wednesday,