Israel proposes only solution to Gaza conflict

Israel nêu giải pháp duy nhất cho xung đột Gaza - 1 — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (Photo: Sputnik).

"Surrendering to Hamas's illusory demands will not only not free the hostages, but will also lead to further slaughter. That will bring a disaster to Israel that no Israeli citizen wants," Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said at a press conference on February 7.

Netanyahu's statement came after Hamas announced a proposal for a ceasefire aimed at bringing lasting peace to the Gaza Strip. The proposal outlined a 135-day plan divided into three phases.

In the first phase, Hamas proposed releasing the remaining Israeli hostages from Gaza in exchange for about 1,500 Palestinian prisoners being held in Israel.

The next stages will involve starting the reconstruction of devastated Gaza territory and exchanging the remains of those killed in the four-month war.

The proposal also calls for a permanent end to the conflict at the end of the third, 45-day phase. The ceasefire includes additional food, medical supplies and other aid for Gaza’s 2.3 million people.

One of the key elements of Hamas' proposal is that the militant group would take control of the Gaza Strip, while the previous proposal put forward by Qatari and Egyptian negotiators did not mention who would control the enclave after the conflict.

Prime Minister Netanyahu said Israel would "ensure that Gaza is permanently demilitarized" and "will act anywhere and anytime in Gaza to ensure that the militant group does not resurface".

Mr Netanyahu insisted there was no other solution to the conflict in Gaza “other than absolute victory” over Palestinian militants.

"We are on the road to complete victory. Victory is something we can achieve, it is not a matter of years or decades, but months," Mr. Netanyahu said.

Prime Minister Netanyahu's emphasis on "total victory" in Gaza has strained relations between Israel and the United States, as has his rejection of a two-state solution to the decades-long conflict with the Palestinians.

While the US has not endorsed any specific ceasefire proposals, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with both Prime Minister Netanyahu and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas this week, telling the Israeli leader that the US sees “the establishment of a Palestinian state as the best way to ensure lasting peace and security” in the region.

Israeli forces have been fighting Hamas for more than 120 days. According to Mr Netanyahu, Israel has achieved "unprecedented" victories against Hamas militants.

While Prime Minister Netanyahu claims that Israeli forces have killed some 20,000 Hamas militants, Gaza health authorities say about two-thirds of the 27,000 people killed in the enclave are women and children.

According to the Wall Street Journal , as of late last month, US intelligence officials believe Israel had killed about 5,000 Hamas troops.

Israel's prime minister denied reports that Hamas was re-establishing itself in northern Gaza, but said that completely eliminating Hamas was "a process that takes time".

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