Netanyahu Says No ‘Permanent Ceasefire’ Until Hamas Is Destroyed

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on June 1 that the requirements for ending his country’s war or setting a ceasefire with Hamas “have not changed” amid questions about a possible peace deal.

His remarks came as U.S. President Joe Biden announced on May 31 that the Israeli government proposed a three-part deal for a Gaza ceasefire in exchange for Hamas releasing the remainder of the hostages who were abducted last October.

“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.”

President Biden on May 31 argued that Hamas terrorists are “no longer capable” of carrying out a major attack on Israel since the Oct. 7, 2023, attack in which they killed 1,200 civilians and took more than 250 as hostages. He urged both Israel and Hamas to come to an agreement to release about 100 remaining Hamas hostages in exchange for a cease-fire.

“Indefinite war in pursuit of an unidentified notion of total victory will only bog down Israel in Gaza,” the president said in an address.

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In an appearance on ABC News’ “This Week” on June 2, National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said that the plan was an “Israeli proposal” and is “one that they arrived at after intense diplomacy with [the United States’] national security team, and over at the State Department.”

Immediately after President Biden’s comments last week, Mr. Netanyahu issued an initial statement saying that Israel is “united in the desire to return [the] hostages as soon as possible and is working to achieve this goal,” adding that “the exact outline proposed by Israel, including the conditional transition from stage to stage, allows Israel to maintain these principles.”

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A huge demonstration in Israel on the night of June 1, led by families of hostages held by Hamas, urged the government to act now. Mediators from the United States, Egypt, and Qatar pressed Israel and Hamas, saying the proposed deal “offers a road map for a permanent cease-fire and ending the crisis” and gives immediate relief to both hostages and Gaza residents.

Families of hostages said time is running out.

“This might be the last chance to save lives,” Gili Roman told The Associated Press in an exclusive statement. His sister, Yarden Roman-Gat, was freed during a weeklong ceasefire in November 2023, but his sister-in-law, Carmel, is still held.

“Our leadership must not disappoint us. But mostly, all eyes should be on Hamas,” Mr. Roman said.

Also on June 1, Egypt’s state-run Al-Qahera News said officials from Egypt, the United States, and Israel would meet in Cairo over the weekend about the Rafah crossing, a crucial aid entry point that has been closed since Israel took over the Palestinian side in May.

Egypt has refused to open its side.

It comes as international pressure for Mr. Netanyahu to end the Israeli military’s incursion in Gaza has been mounting in recent weeks. The International Criminal Court (ICC) late last month said it would be pursuing an arrest warrant for him, the leaders of Hamas, and the Israeli defense minister, drawing condemnation from the U.S., UK, and Israeli governments.

In an interview with CNN more than a week ago, Mr. Netanyahu warned about the potential consequences of the ICC’s arrest warrant proposal.

“Israel is given here a bum rap. I think it’s dangerous. Basically, it’s the first democracy being taken to the dock when it is doing exactly what democracies should be doing in an exemplary way,” he told CNN. “It endangers all other democracies. Israel is first, but you’re next. Britain is next. Others are next, too.”

In a separate statement over the past weekend, Mr. Netanyahu accepted an invitation from U.S. congressional leaders to deliver an address at the Capitol. No date has been set.

In response, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) said he would boycott the Netanyahu speech at the Capitol, which drew a rebuke from House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.).

“If that’s the side he wants to choose, so be it,” Mr. Johnson told “Fox News Sunday,” referring to Mr. Sanders’s criticism. “Our Democrat colleagues have to make a choice: Are they going to stand with our most important ally in the Middle East at the most desperate time as has traditionally been the case in Washington … or are they going to take this new side and stand with Hamas and the Ayatollah?”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.