Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has spoken of the prospects for expanding peace deals in the Middle East, but stressed that he would not support any deal that would allow Hamas to remain in the Gaza Strip.
Israel has a chance to expand peace deals in the region, but no agreement will include Hamas remaining in Gaza, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said before flying to Washington.
The Times of Israel reports.
“We have already changed the Middle East beyond recognition, and now we have a chance to bring a great future to the people of Israel and the Middle East,” he said.
At the same time, Netanyahu stressed that Israel will not agree to a ceasefire and hostage release agreement that would allow Hamas to remain in Gaza.
“We will not allow a situation that encourages kidnapping and murder. This means eliminating the military potential of Hamas. Hamas will not be there,” the prime minister said.
His words came on the eve of indirect talks with Hamas representatives in Doha, where the Israeli negotiating team has traveled.
In addition, during his visit to Washington, Netanyahu plans to thank former US President Donald Trump for his support during Israel's 12-day war against Iran, which, according to the prime minister, ended in a “tremendous victory.”
“For years, we were afraid of what to do with Iran and whether we could defeat it. Our heroic pilots flew not only there, but also over Lebanon. There, too, we worried for years about what Hezbollah would do. We struck Hamas. This creates great responsibility and opportunity,” Netanyahu added.
Earlier, it was reported that Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei appeared in public for the first time since the ceasefire agreement with Israel concluded two weeks ago.
We previously reported that Hamas accepted the ceasefire proposal with US guarantees.
