Netanyahu: We will continue war until victory – Hamas must surrender or die

“We’re continuing the war to the end,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement on Wednesday. “It will continue until Hamas is destroyed — until victory…until all the goals we set are met: destroying Hamas; releasing our hostages and removing the threat from Gaza.”

The prime minister's statement was made in response to accusations this week by Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich who said he believes Israel may agree to a hostage deal in exchange for a ceasefire and the release of high-level Palestinian security prisoners in Israeli jails.

Netanyahu affirmed that Israel would not stop its military campaign until all goals had been met.

“Anyone who thinks we’ll stop is unmoored from reality… We’re raining fire on Hamas, hellfire. All Hamas terrorists, from first to last, face death. They have two options only: surrender or die,” the prime minister emphasized.

Smotrich had posted on his social media that Israel should be eliminating Hamas leaders, not negotiating with them.

“The War Cabinet should send the head of the Mossad to eliminate Hamas leaders wherever they are, and not to talk with them and conduct negotiations,” Smotrich wrote on X.

Netanyahu’s Likud party lashed out at Smotrich for his remarks and clarified that Israel's Mossad intelligence agency had been given instructions.

“Prime Minister Netanyahu has already instructed the Mossad to eliminate Hamas leaders wherever they are.”

Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh arrived in Cairo on Wednesday to discuss the possibility of a ceasefire and the potential release of Palestinian terrorists in exchange for the return of between 30-40 Israeli hostages.

According to the Wall Street Journal, Haniyeh rejected an Israeli offer to stop the fighting for one week in exchange for releasing mainly female and sick or frail hostages.

Israel had reportedly also offered to bring more humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip, with Haniyeh allegedly responding that he would not discuss any deal until a full ceasefire goes into effect, according to Egyptian officials.

The officials in Cairo also said Haniyeh's rejection of Israel's offer did not equal a breakdown of the negotiations, but that it was an attempt by Hamas to pressure Israel to offer more concessions.

Haniyeh reportedly also said that the remaining Israeli hostages – estimated to be around 128 people, although it is unclear how many of them remain alive – would only be released in exchange for all Palestinian prisoners in Israeli prisons.

On Saturday, Hamas issued a statement saying it would not agree to a new hostage deal “unless the aggression against our people stops once and for all.” Hamas has reportedly also insisted that it will decide which hostages to release, not Israel.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Wednesday that a pause in the fighting in exchange for the release of hostages was “something we’d very much like to see happen.”

Israel's Director of Mossad David Barnea met with CIA Director Bill Burns and Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani in Warsaw on Monday to discuss a possible new hostage deal with Hamas. Barnea previously met with Al Thani in Norway on Friday night.