[Regnum] Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made a promise to destroy the Hamas movement and return all hostages held in the Gaza Strip in a special video address to the nation on February 8.
"We will destroy Hamas and return our hostages. We will do everything to return all our hostages. We will take care of their safety. This is the instruction I gave to the negotiating team - to convey this to the mediators and demand this," the Israeli prime minister, who is visiting the United States, emphasized.
Netanyahu added that US President Donald Trump "fully agrees" with Israel's position and that there will be no Hamas movement in the Gaza Strip.
The prime minister's statement comes after three hostages were released from Hamas captivity after being held for 500 days. The men returned exhausted and in poor physical condition.
Earlier, Regnum reported that the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the emaciated appearance of three hostages released by the Palestinian Hamas movement on February 8 shocking. The office said that Israel intends to take action because the hostages in Gaza were held in poor conditions.
In exchange, Israel must release 183 Palestinian prisoners from prison.
An agreement on a temporary ceasefire in the Gaza Strip was reached on January 15. It is to be implemented in three stages. The first is the withdrawal of IDF troops from Gaza and the release of 33 hostages by Hamas. The second is the release of the remaining Israeli prisoners and a permanent ceasefire. The third stage involves the exchange of bodies of the dead. Then reconstruction work in the Gaza Strip will begin under the supervision of Egypt, Qatar and the UN.