Netanyahu on the proposal he received: "I thought it would be a disaster"
Prime Minister Netanyahu emphasized that the framework he rejected for releasing the hostages in exchange for a withdrawal from the Gaza Strip was a surrender to Hamas's dictates. According to him, the only way to…
Assessment
Prime Minister Netanyahu is publicly explaining his reasoning for rejecting a proposed hostage release deal that would have required an Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, framing it as a capitulation to Hamas. He is positioning himself as standing firm against what he considered a catastrophic outcome, while arguing that victory requires combining intense military pressure with diplomatic effort directed at the United States. This statement appears aimed at reassuring his political base that he did not compromise on core security principles.