00:00 On Wednesday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu firmly stated that Israel will persist in
00:07 its military campaign in the Gaza Strip until achieving its objectives, dismissing any notion
00:12 of a ceasefire as impractical.
00:15 This declaration followed criticism from Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who expressed dissatisfaction
00:22 with reports suggesting negotiations for another hostage-release deal with Hamas.
00:26 Notably, one media account indicated that the war cabinet had instructed the Mossad
00:31 chief to explore the possibility of freeing high-level Palestinian security prisoners
00:36 in exchange for Israeli captives in Gaza.
00:38 Netanyahu emphasized, "We are continuing the war to the end.
00:42 It will persist until Hamas is destroyed, until victory, until all the goals we set
00:47 are met, destroying Hamas, releasing our hostages and removing the threat from Gaza."
00:52 He firmly stated that anyone expecting Israel to stop is detached from reality, asserting,
00:58 "We are raining fire on Hamas, hellfire.
01:01 All Hamas terrorists, from first to last, face death.
01:05 They have two options only, surrender or die."
01:09 Netanyahu's remarks came after Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh travelled to Cairo on Wednesday
01:14 for talks with Egyptian intelligence chief Abbas Kamel to discuss a possible truce in
01:18 Gaza.
01:20 The UN Security Council was also set to vote later Wednesday on a resolution calling for
01:24 a pause in the conflict, diplomatic sources said, after two previous votes were delayed
01:29 as members wrangled over warding.
01:31 Netanyahu, however, said Israeli forces were attacking Hamas militants "everywhere in Gaza.
01:38 Anyone who thinks we will stop is not connected to reality.
01:41 We are attacking Hamas with fire and inferno," he said.
01:45 The United Nations Security Council is set to vote later on Wednesday on a long-postponed
01:49 resolution urging a pause in the Israel-Hamas conflict.
01:52 Council members have struggled to reach consensus, leading to multiple delays since Monday, despite
01:57 Netanyahu's stance on the continuation of the war, diplomatic pressure from Russia and
02:01 the Arab League is mounting, with efforts to encourage Tel Aviv to agree to the proposed
02:05 resolution at the Russian-Arab Cooperation Forum in Morocco.
02:09 The White House has confirmed that negotiations for another deal between Israel and Hamas
02:13 are underway and deemed "very serious."
02:16 National Security Council spokesman John Kirby, speaking aboard Air Force One, emphasized
02:21 the "earnestness" of these discussions.
02:24 Israel is pressing for the release of remaining women and infirm men among hostages, while
02:28 Hamas contends that Palestinians convicted of serious offenses should be prioritized
02:33 for release.
02:34 Since the October 7 attack, Israeli authorities report 1,140 casualties, predominantly civilians.
02:40 Conversely, the Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza claims that Israel's military response
02:44 has resulted in the deaths of 19,667 people, primarily women and children.
02:50 For more UN videos visit: www.un.org/webcast
02:56 (drumming)
02:58 (drumming)
Comments