Benjamin Netanyahu, Prime Minister of Israel, stated, "From now on, negotiations will only take place amid battle."
On the 18th (local time), according to foreign media such as The Times of Israel, in a video speech regarding the Israeli military's resumption of large-scale airstrikes on the Gaza Strip, Netanyahu said, "This is only the beginning, and we will continue fighting until all war objectives are achieved."
This is interpreted as an official declaration of intent to resume hostilities, moving away from the previous restraint in military actions when the first phase of the ceasefire agreed upon with the Palestinian armed faction Hamas expired on the 1st of this month and ceasefire extension negotiations reached a deadlock.
Netanyahu said, "Over the past few weeks, we have made every effort to return the hostages," adding, "We extended the ceasefire, sent delegations, exchanged proposals with mediators, and accepted the proposal of U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff." He continued, "But Hamas continued to reject all proposals, and we have returned to fight again."
Netanyahu stated, "Israel will now act increasingly firmly against Hamas," and "The Gaza Strip will no longer pose a threat to Israel."
Regarding the criticism raised among families worried about the safety of hostages held by Hamas following the Israeli military's sudden airstrikes that day, he mentioned, "Our hearts are with the hostages and their families." Netanyahu reiterated his commitment to securing the release of the hostages, saying, "The hostages endure inhuman nightmares every day, every moment."
Referring to the U.S. military's large-scale airstrikes launched on the 15th against the Iran-aligned Houthi rebels in Yemen, he expressed, "We deeply appreciate the cooperation of the United States," and said, "We have much to do against the 'axis of evil,' but with God's help, we are confident we will defeat them." This is seen as a warning directed at Iran, which has supported anti-American and anti-Israel armed groups in the Middle East such as Hamas, the Houthis, and Hezbollah in Lebanon.
In the early hours of that day, the Israeli military conducted large-scale airstrikes targeting hundreds of Hamas sites in the Gaza Strip. This is considered the largest military operation since the ceasefire between the two sides took effect on January 19.
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