Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday responded to Hamas' insistence that Israel end the war before negotiating a hostage deal and reiterated his affirmation that Israel will not stop the war until it has reached its goals. "We will fight until victory. We will not stop the war until we complete all of its goals - completely eliminating Hamas and freeing all of the hostages," the Prime Minister declared in a short video address. "The options that I offer Hamas are very simple: surrender or die. They do not and will have any other choice. And after we eliminate Hamas, I will work with all my might to ensure that Gaza does not pose any threat to Israel. Not 'Hamastan' and not 'Fatahstan,'" the Netanyahu added. Sami Abu Zuhri, a senior Hamas official and spokesman for the organization, has said that the terror group's leadership is steadfast in its decision to insist on a ceasefire in Gaza before holding negotiations on a new prisoner swap which would see innocent Israeli hostages freed in exchange for convicted terrorists. Related articles: Netanyahu meets Hungarian Jews, emphasizes faith and unity Netanyahu and Orbán honor Holocaust victims Netanyahu may visit the US next week 'ICC is not a court of the rule of law; it's a political court' National Unity Chairman Minister Benny Gantz also responded to Hamas' demands on Thursday during a visit to southern Israel. "The activity in Gaza will continue, and the harm to Hamas is getting deeper, and it will continue deep in the territory and in various stages," Gantz stated. He added, "There is no intention to stop the fighting until we bring back the hostages and change the reality in the south and the north. Hamas' refusal to release elderly, ill, and women from captivity after 70 days while risking their lives is another proof that we must remove the threat of Hamas. It is proof that Hamas is worse than ISIS, and its leaders and members' verdict is death. To remove this threat, we will continue to fight until we reach our goals." Hamas' presence causes severe harm to Gazans. He who doesn't spare his citizens while he sleeps in luxury hotels, who use them to survive, is a war criminal. It will take as much time as we need. We will fight, and we will win," Gantz concluded.
