Netanyahu vows to ‘expand circle of peace,’ push for Hamas’ elimination ahead of Trump meeting
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he has a key opportunity to “expand the circle of peace” in the Middle East and vowed to eliminate Hamas as he heads to Washington to meet with President Trump.
Before boarding the US-bound plane on Sunday, Netanyahu said he and Trump can secure big changes to the region — while also insisting that Israel will not agree to a cease-fire deal that includes Hamas’ continued existence in Gaza, the Times of Israel reported.
“We are determined to ensure that Gaza will no longer constitute a threat to Israel,” he told reporters. “That means, we will not allow a situation that encourages more kidnappings, more murders, more executions, more invasions.”
“That means one thing: eliminating Hamas’s military and governing capabilities. Hamas will not be there,” he added.
That remains a massive sticking point in ending the war in Gaza.
Previous cease-fire proposals fell apart after Israel and Hamas failed to reach a compromise on how the war should end, with the Jewish state rejecting any deal that saw the de facto governors of the Gaza Strip stay.
Netanyahu said his delegation, which is traveling to Qatar to meet with mediators, have been instructed to reach a deal under those terms again.
Netanyahu maintains that the Israeli military should occupy Gaza indefinitely, with the role of governors transferred to local officials without any known ties to Hamas or the Palestinian Authority, which governs the West Bank.
The last truce fell apart in March after Israel opted out of discussions for a permanent end to the war, with Hamas reiterating that it would not agree to demilitarize as a condition for peace.
Netanyahu appeared confident that he could “advance” his ideal outcome in his looming meeting with Trump, touting that the two have already achieved so much following the 12-day war with Iran, which saw Israel and the US bomb Tehran’s nuclear facilities.
“We have already transformed the Middle East beyond recognition, and we now have a chance to bring a great future to the state of Israel, the people of Israel and the entire Middle East,” Netanyahu said.
The current deal being discussed in Doha calls for a 60-day cease-fire in which Hamas would agree to free 10 living hostages, as well as the bodies of 18 captives.
Hamas currently holds 50 hostages after 639 days of war, only 20 of whom are believed to still be alive, according to Israeli officials.