Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu participated in the graduation ceremony at Bahad 1 officers' school this evening (Thursday), where he addressed the ongoing negotiations to free the hostages.
"I am committed to the outline to free our hostages, but the murderers of Hamas continue to cling to demands which contradict the outline and endanger the security of Israel. As the Prime Minister of Israel and based on national responsibility, I am unwilling to agree to these demands. Therefore, I strongly stand on four necessary principles for Israeli security present in the outline:
"1. Any outline must allow Israel to go back to fighting until the achievements of all the war aims.
2. We will not allow the smuggling of weapons to Hamas from Egypt, first and foremost by Israeli control of the Philadelphi axis and the Rafah crossing.
3. We will not allow the return of armed terrorists and the entry of weapons into the northern Gaza Strip.
4. I insist that already in the first phase, a maximal number of live hostages be freed.
"These are ironclad principles. I am sure that if we insist on them, we will achieve a deal which will both free our hostages and also ensure that we continue to fight until we complete all our goals. The path to freeing our hostages is continuing to pressure Hamas with all possible force. The same is true of the northern front: those who attack us - our blood is on their head. We will bring about a fundamental change in the situation in the north and return the evacuees to their homes."