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Benjamin Netanyahu has refused to “bow down” under pressure to negotiate a hostage deal or end the war in Gaza, ignoring mass protests in Israel while he has stepped up his core demands for a ceasefire.
At a late-night news conference, Israel's prime minister insisted on a long-term military presence along Gaza's border with Egypt, despite warnings from international mediators and his own security chiefs that it would delay a deal to free hostages held by Hamas in Gaza.
The uncompromising tone came after a day of unrest across Israel during a general strike meant to express public outrage over Netanyahu's failure to broker a hostage deal.
It came after a second night of mass street protests following the killing. six Israeli hostages captured by Hamas over the weekend. Hamas suggested they were killed in an Israeli airstrike, but the Israeli military dismissed the claim as “psychological terror.”
“No one is more committed to freeing the hostages than I am. But no one will preach to me,” Netanyahu said.
The strike was one of the most visible expressions of public discontent with the Netanyahu government since the Hamas attack on October 7 and the first large-scale strike.
Despite calls from Washington for flexibility and a ceasefire deal in exchange for the hostages, Netanyahu stood firm on maintaining Israeli control over the so-called Philadelphia Corridor, which is now seen as the main stumbling block for negotiators.
“This corridor is essential for our existence,” Netanyahu said Monday night, arguing that the border is an “oxygen pipe” that allows Hamas to smuggle weapons into Gaza and “become a monster.”
“That's why Hamas insists on it. And that's why I insist on it,” Netanyahu added.
But US President Joe Biden earlier on Monday expressed impatience with the Israeli leader's negotiating stance. Asked whether Netanyahu was doing enough to secure a deal, Biden said: “No.”
When asked about the US president's comments, Netanyahu told reporters he “doesn't believe President Biden said that” and stressed that he said statements by US officials in recent months had indicated Israeli flexibility in the long-stalled talks.
But the longtime prime minister vowed in a 15-minute lecture, complete with maps, to never leave the Philadelphia Corridor – a position endorsed by Israel's cabinet in a vote late last week.
Israeli security chiefs, including Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, have defended the position that such a withdrawal is acceptable if it ensures the release of the hostages.
Some 101 hostages taken by Hamas, including foreign nationals, remain in captivity. Israeli intelligence believes at least a third, and possibly more, have died.
Asked about the difference of opinion with his own defense minister, Netanyahu said he “expects all ministers to be bound by cabinet decisions.” Without promising to keep Gallant in office, Netanyahu said he could remain in the cabinet “as long as there is trust.”
“When we put on a shoe, [Hamas’s] “Skull, this is when they want us to make concessions?” Netanyahu asked, arguing that only additional pressure would force Hamas to compromise.
“When [Hamas] understands that we will not end the war, he will surrender.”