Israel Ties The End of Gaza War to Disarmament and Hostage Releases

The Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar said on Sunday that the war in Gaza would stop “immediately” if Hamas released all hostages and surrendered its weapons, asserting that the surrender is the only way to stop the military operations.

Sa’ar added that the peace cannot be achieved through an international recognition of a Palestinian state, but rather through “direct understandings between the two sides,” as the Israeli army continues its strikes on the Gaza Strip.

On the other hand, Hamas senior official Basem Naim stated that the movement will not surrender its weapons, but it is ready to release the hostages if Israel agrees to stop the war and withdraw its forces from Gaza. He said: “The Resistance is a legitimate right guaranteed by international law, and it cannot be abandoned except with the establishment of an independent Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital and the guaranteed return of refugees.”

Israeli Army Radio quoted the head of the Operations Directorate as saying the army is preparing for a ground incursion into Gaza City, though he acknowledged that the move “may not resolve the conflict with Hamas.”