At a press conference he gave this evening to address reports of an emerging hostage deal, as well as Hamas' demand that a deal include a complete cessation of warfare, Prime Minister Netanyahu reiterated his commitment to total victory over Hamas, claiming that the IDF was closer than believed to this goal.
Netanyahu further stated that he was searching for alternatives to UNRWA on the day after, and that whoever controlled Gaza for civilian purposes could not be a supporter of terror.
The Prime Minister also denied that Hamas was restoring control of areas in the northern Gaza Strip, saying that these were mere "fragments" of shattered Hamas formations which would need to be stamped out whenever they emerge.
Addressing questions regarding reported increases in aid, Netanyahu stated that the aid was necessary to prevent a humanitarian crisis which would force an end to the war, and that an officer related to aid provision said that "up to 60%" of the aid was stolen by Hamas, something he said President Biden also said needs to be prevented.
He also said that he instructed the defense establishment to make recommendations as to how to reduce this number "to the possible minimum" and that he would receive these in the coming days.
