Israel's PM Netanyahu Rejects Ceasefire Proposal After Meeting with US Secretary of State Blinken

Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has rejected the ceasefire proposal after meeting with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken. Netanyahu has rejected the truce not agreeing with Hamas’ demands made in the counterproposal that was studied by Israeli spy agency Mossad. The Palestinian militant group had laid out a series of demands in response to an Israel-backed ceasefire proposal brokered by Qatar and Egypt in Paris.

The Israeli premier labelled the negotiations with Hamas as “bizarre” adding that they were "not going anywhere.” "There is no other solution but a complete and final victory," Netanyahu told a press conference. "If Hamas will survive in Gaza, it's only a question of time until the next massacre.”

Met with @IsraeliPM Netanyahu in Jerusalem to discuss the latest efforts to secure release of all hostages and ensure events of October 7 are never repeated. I stressed the importance of protecting civilians in Gaza and ensuring more humanitarian aid gets to people in need. pic.twitter.com/EQsKUijoL0

— Secretary Antony Blinken (@SecBlinken) February 7, 2024

Netanyahu vows for ‘total victory’ in Gaza

Netanyahu vowed to press ahead with Israel’s military offensive in Gaza until achieving “total victory” and eliminating Hamas. He maintained that his forces were now pressing ahead with an operation in the southern Gaza city of Rafah bordering Egypt where thousands of Palestinians have fled and are crammed into makeshift tents. Harmas, in a statement to the agencies, said that Netanyahu’s remarks imply that he intends to pursue the conflict, adding that they are "a form of political bravado.” 

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met today with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, at the Prime Minister's Office in Jerusalem.

PM Netanyahu and @SecBlinken first held a lengthy, in-depth private meeting, and are currently holding an expanded meetinghttps://t.co/lav5U0u7bi pic.twitter.com/wsAIBYRGIt

— Prime Minister of Israel (@IsraeliPM) February 7, 2024

"The movement [Hamas] is prepared to deal with all options,” Senior Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri was quoted as saying. Hamas had proposed a far-reaching proposal for a permanent end to the fighting in Gaza, in exchange for release of hostages. Israeli Prime Minister rejected the proposal during the visit made by Blinken to hold talks on the truce.

Speaking at a news conference shortly after meeting with Blinken, Netanyahu maintained that Israel was “within reach of achieving total victory in a matter of months.” He pledged to destroy Hamas, and ruled out any arrangement that would imply Hamas could return to the rule in Gaza enclave.

Israel remains the “only power” that can guarantee the security in the long term, Netanyahu said at the press conference in Jerusalem. “The day after is the day after Hamas. All of Hamas,” he asserted.