Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu mentioned Monday {that a} ceasefire within the Gaza battle “will not happen” as it might quantity to surrendering to the territory’s Islamist rulers Hamas.

Netanyahu additionally advised a press convention that different international locations should give extra assist in the battle to free greater than 230 hostages kidnapped by Hamas in its October 7 assaults.

The Israeli chief mentioned the worldwide group should demand the captives “be freed immediately, unconditionally”.

He mentioned among the many captives have been 33 youngsters and Hamas was “terrorising them, keeping them as hostages”.

“Calls for a ceasefire are calls for Israel to surrender to Hamas, to surrender to terrorism, to surrender to barbarism. This will not happen,” he mentioned.

Vowing that Israel would “fight until this battle is won”, Netanyahu mentioned the military was going out of its solution to “prevent civilian casualties” in Gaza.

The well being ministry in Hamas-run Gaza says at the very least 8,306 folks, principally civilians, have been killed in Israeli air and artillery strikes for the reason that battle erupted on October 7 after Hamas’s lethal assault on southern Israel killed 1,400 folks, principally civilians.