“We are closing in on Hamas from all sides ahead of the next stages of the plan, which includes its complete disarmament and the demilitarization of Gaza. If this is achieved peacefully, so much the better. If not, it will be achieved by force.” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement to the media.
Hamas: “We will not give Israel excuses to return to war”
Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem told Saudi broadcaster Al-Arabiya that “the ceasefire agreement has entered into force. We are monitoring the withdrawal of the Israeli army in accordance with the agreement. The Palestinians have confirmed that they will thwart any attempt at displacement. We will not give Israel any excuse to return to war.”
Thousands return to Gaza city after the army’s withdrawal
Thousands of families are moving from the south of the Strip to Gaza city after the Israeli army withdrew from Rashid Street. Sources in Gaza report this and videos on social media show it.
Netanyahu, Hamas accepted the agreement with a sword at their throat
“Hamas – the Israeli prime minister also declared to the media – accepted the agreement only when it felt the sword at its throat. And the sword is still there. Hamas accepted the agreement after the Trump plan, on which I agreed with the president in Washington, isolated it internationally in an unprecedented way”.
Netanyahu, today we celebrate a great achievement
“Today we celebrate one of the greatest achievements of our war for rebirth: the return of all our hostages – living and dead – home. This has been a central goal that we have pursued with determination all along the way. We made a promise and we kept it. I remind you that, at the beginning of the war, there were those who said ‘we must get used to the idea that we will not be able to get back even one hostage alive’. I thought differently and I acted differently.”
“To all those who claim that this agreement could have been reached sooner, I say that it is not true: Hamas never agreed to release all the hostages with the IDF still deep inside the Strip.”