Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office released a statement on Sunday asserting that the Israeli occupation “maintains the right” to restart military operations in the Gaza Strip, regardless of any potential agreement for a prisoner swap with Hamas.

The statement from Netanyahu’s office clarified that any deal would allow ‘Israel’ to continue fighting until “all goals of the war on Gaza are met.” The agreement, supported by US President Joe Biden, is designed to secure the release of Israeli captives without compromising other strategic objectives.

Despite Biden’s urgent call for a resolution that includes the release of hostages and a ceasefire in Gaza, Netanyahu reiterated to the US President that ‘Israel’ is committed to ending the war only after achieving its war objectives, which include weakening Hamas’ military capabilities and governance in Gaza.

Negotiations between US and Israeli officials are ongoing, with a focus on finalizing an agreement following Hamas’ positive response to the proposed deal. The White House sees this as a crucial moment to move forward with negotiations, potentially marking a major foreign policy win for Biden.

Following feedback from Hamas, Israeli officials are optimistic about resolving key issues in the proposed agreement related to the negotiation process and commitments from the US, Qatar, and Egypt.

Source: Israeli media (edited by Al-Manar English Website)