Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu commented on Sunday on ongoing negotiations for a hostage deal and a cease-fire agreement in the Gaza Strip, saying at the opening of the weekly Cabinet meeting that "we are engaging in negotiations, not concessions. The principles we have established are essential for Israel's security."
Netanyahu emphasized that "Israel is prepared for any threat—both defensively and offensively. We are determined to defend ourselves and to exact a very heavy price from any enemy who dares to attack us, from any front."
He added, "There are matters on which we can be flexible, and there are those on which we cannot—and we are steadfast on these. We know well how to distinguish between the two."
(Itamar Eichner)