Under increasing pressure from the Biden administration to do something about the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he would allow "tactical little pauses" in Gaza fighting to aid in the delivery of humanitarian aid or allow for the release of hostages being held by Hamas.
But Netanyahu flatly turned down the idea of a full-scale ceasefire until all its hostages being held by Hamas are released.
Netanyahu made his remarks on Monday night following a call with Joe Biden where the American president reiterated his call for a "humanitarian" pause to the fighting.
"Well, there'll be no ceasefire, no general ceasefire in Gaza without the release of our hostages." He added, "As far as tactical little pauses — an hour here, an hour there — we've had them before. I suppose we'll check the circumstances, in order to enable goods, humanitarian goods, to come in, or our hostages, individual hostages, to leave."
When asked who should govern Gaza after fighting is over, Netanyahu said something that's sure to inflame opposition to Israel among pro-Hamas sympathizers around the world.
"I think Israel will for an indefinite period will [sic] have the overall security responsibility because we've seen what happens when we don't have that security responsibility," Netanyahu told ABC News.
Related: Wait... Who Actually Just Said NO to a Ceasefire with Hamas?
Meanwhile, Israeli tanks are poised on the outskirts of Gaza City, ready to begin what will be the bloodiest and most savage fighting of the war.
Israel's military said it had captured a militant compound in the northern Gaza Strip and was set to attack fighters hiding in a warren of underground tunnels. It released footage showing troops using bulldozers to dig up earth and knock over walls.
Israeli Lieutenant-Colonel Richard Hecht told reporters Hamas fighters were "popping out" from tunnels to fire rocket propelled grenades at Israeli forces.
"So we're really putting an effort into taking out these tunnels as we move in and close in on Gaza City," he said.
Israeli aircraft struck several Hamas militants who had barricaded themselves in a building near the al-Quds Hospital inside Gaza City, the military said.
Netanyahu's statement that Israel will be responsible for security in Gaza after the fighting is over signals a recognition by Israel that regardless of the cost in civilian lives and the world's respect, Israel recognizes that the cost of allowing a Palestinian enclave of armed terrorists is too high.
"I don’t see any situation in which Israel doesn’t have ultimate security responsibility in Gaza,” said an official in a Hebrew-language briefing with Israeli reporters in the Kirya in Tel Aviv.
The official added that after Hamas is toppled, “it won’t be enough to do just a rehabilitation of Gaza.”
“It must go through a process of ‘de-Nazification,'” continued the official. “This culture [of seeking to kill Jews] still exists in the Palestinian Authority.”
It doesn't matter how hard the job might be. It doesn't matter what the cost might be. It must be successful unless Israelis will live in fear for their entire lives.
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