Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delivered a special statement on Saturday evening, forcefully addressing mounting criticism over the continued war effort in the absence of a hostage deal. He stressed, "This war comes at a very high price, but as a nation that values life, we have no choice but to carry on. I will not surrender to murderers. Such a surrender would endanger the security of the state." Netanyahu added, "We are at a decisive stage, patience is required. If we surrender now, all our achievements will be lost."
In a direct attack on his critics, Netanyahu declared, "We will not end the war before we defeat Hamas and bring back all the hostages. Those calling for an end to the fighting are echoing Hamas' position and pushing the release of hostages further out of reach." He continued accusingly, "What responsible leader could accept Hamas' demands after October 7?"
The prime minister also referred to what he described as Hamas' "deception," saying, "Hamas isn't stupid. They want binding international guarantees to prevent a resumption of the war. That would strip us of legitimacy to return to the fight. If we commit not to resume fighting, we won't be able to go back into Gaza."
Addressing his critics again, Netanyahu pointed to military achievements: "From the very start of the war, we heard calls to end it in surrender. These calls have only grown louder. If I had surrendered to them, we would never have entered Rafah, we wouldn't have brought down the Assad regime, and we wouldn't have eliminated Deif and Sinwar." He concluded by reiterating a key strategic priority: "I am committed to preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons."
In response to the prime minister's statement, the Hostages and Missing Families Forum, advocating for the hostages' return issued a scathing response: "Many words and slogans cannot hide the simple fact, Netanyahu has no plan. Tonight we heard endlessly what not to do; we would appreciate hearing from our prime minister what he does plan to do."
"There is one clear and feasible solution that can be achieved immediately: reaching an agreement that secures the release of everyone, even if that means stopping the fighting," the Forum stated.
