Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu signaled openness to a temporary ceasefire in Gaza to enable a potential hostage release but rejected Hamas’s demand for an end to the conflict. Speaking to Channel 14 following the Lebanon ceasefire, Netanyahu emphasized he would agree to a pause in fighting if it could facilitate freeing captives, stating, “I am ready for a ceasefire at any time.” However, he underscored Israel’s commitment to continuing its military operations against Hamas.

Netanyahu described recent developments, including the elimination of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar and Hezbollah’s limited involvement, as shifting the dynamics in Israel’s favor. He highlighted that Iran, the Houthis, and Hezbollah had not intervened to aid Hamas, weakening the group’s leverage. He argued that these factors improve conditions for negotiating a hostage deal.

The prime minister contrasted Israel’s approach in Gaza with its strategy in Lebanon, where operations target preventing Hezbollah from rearming. He noted that arms smuggling into Lebanon can be addressed with strikes on border crossings and Syrian targets, tactics unavailable in Gaza due to its border with Egypt. This, he suggested, necessitates Israel’s continued presence along the Egypt-Gaza border, known as the Philadelphi corridor.

Defending the Lebanon ceasefire, Netanyahu claimed Israel achieved its objectives, including separating the theaters of conflict and neutralizing Sinwar. He refrained from detailing ongoing efforts to secure hostages but reaffirmed Israel’s broader military objectives in Gaza, stating the war would persist until those goals are met.