Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office released the key principles Israel will insist on in negotiations with Hamas regarding a hostage agreement. Non-negotiable demands include four positions:
- "Any deal will allow Israel to return to military operations until its war aims are met."
- "Weapons smuggling to Hamas from the Gaza-Egypt border will not be possible."
- "Thousands of armed terrorists won't be able to return to the northern Gaza Strip."
- "Israel will maximize the number of living hostages who will be returned from Hamas captivity."
The statement also says that Netanyahu is confident: "Framework that was agreed by Israel and was welcomed by President Biden will enable Israel to return hostages without harming the other aims of the war."
The Prime Minister's office distributed the statement shortly before Netanyahu's meeting with security officials to discuss negotiations with Hamas.
