By Anjali Sharma
WASHINGTON – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday said that he believes the prospects for a partial ceasefire and hostage-release deal with Hamas are no longer possible.
Netanyahu in an interview with Israeli broadcaster i24, said the possibility of reaching a partial agreement “is behind us.” He rejected accusations from opposition figures and former senior military officials that he was dragging his feet in the war, said the goal remains to end the conflict, defeat Hamas, and secure the release of all hostages as part of a single final agreement “on our terms.”
“I’m not going back to partial agreements,” he said.
He accused Hamas of “misleading” Israel, without providing details, media reported.
Netanyahu said Israel plans to extend its military campaign beyond Gaza City into the last areas outside its control, where most of Gaza 2 million residents have taken refuge amid worsening humanitarian conditions.
Israeli military said it killed five “armed militants dressed as aid workers” near a vehicle marked with the emblem of the World Central Kitchen in a drone strike last week in Deir al-Balah, central Gaza.
Drone footage showed several men in yellow vests standing near a vehicle bearing the WCK’s emblem, media reported.
The military said the individuals were “posing a threat” to Israeli troops, though no soldiers were visible in the video and the men were not seen pointed their rifles at anyone.
The military called the incident “an attempt to conceal their activity and avoid being targeted,” added that Israel’s Gaza District Coordination and Liaison Office has verified the information with the WCK, which confirmed that the vehicle has no connection to its operations.
There was no official comment from the WCK, an international humanitarian organization operating in Gaza providing meals and bread.
Its operations have been severely limited by shortages caused by the Israeli blockade. There was no immediate comment from Hamas either.
