Israelβs Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said Israel would not agree to a cessation of hostilities with Hamas in the Gaza Strip and would press ahead with its plans to wipe out the group, Reuters reports.
Netanyahu said all wars have unintended civilian casualties and Israelβs assault on Gaza, which Hamas controls, was a battle between βcivilisation and barbarism,β calling on allies to back Israel.
At a news conference in Tel Aviv Netanyahuβs Defence Minister Yoav Gallant and his Minister of Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer also addressed journalists.
Dermer said Israelβs coordination with the United States in its fight with Hamas was βunprecedented in historyβ and that its relationship with Russia was complicated.
Gallant said that in the occupied West Bank, only the Israeli army and police were authorised to use force.
Speaking in English, Netanyahu says it is time βto decide if we are willing to fight for a future of hope and promise, or surrender to tyranny and terrorβ.
βJust as the United States would not agree to a ceasefire after the bombing of Pearl Harbor or after the terrorist attack of 911, Israel will not agree to a cessation of hostilities with Hamas after the horrific attacks of October 7.
βCalls for a ceasefire are a call for Israel to surrender to Hamas, to surrender to terrorism, to surrender to barbarism. That will not happen.
βThe Bible says that there is a time for peace and a time for war. This is a time for war,β he added.
