According to the prime minister, West Jerusalem will not accept a ceasefire that does not involve the immediate release of hostages.

At a news conference on Friday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared that his country will not alter its strategy towards Gaza. He declared that the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) will not abate their bombardment of the Palestinian enclave and that West Jerusalem will not consent to an armistice until the Israeli hostages are released.

With “all of its power,” the IDF will keep attacking Gaza, Netanyahu declared in a public release. He continued, saying that Israel “refuses a temporary ceasefire that doesn’t include the return of our hostages.”

On October 7, the militant Hamas group, based in Gaza, launched a surprise raid on Israel, capturing over 240 individuals. Since then, the militants have stated that they are amenable to the idea of freeing the hostages, but they have insisted that this can only happen following the end of hostilities because Israel’s bombing and communications blackout prevent them from even gathering intelligence on the individuals they are holding captive.

READ ALSO: Israel is not acting in “self-defense” in Gaza – Moscow

After meeting with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Tel Aviv, Netanyahu made his remarks. During their conversation, the two talked about expanding humanitarian aid delivery and implementing “humanitarian pauses” to safeguard people in Gaza.

During his own press conference in Tel Aviv, Blinken stated, “We believe all these efforts would be facilitated by humanitarian pauses with arrangements on the ground increasing security for civilians and allowing more effective and sustained distribution of humanitarian aid.”

Reiterating Washington’s backing for Israel, he declared that the nation will “never be alone.”

The Israeli security cabinet declared further limitations against the Palestinian enclave on Thursday. The Israeli authorities declared that all Gazan labourers who became stuck on Israeli soil during the IDF operation will be returned home. According to the security cabinet statement, “Israel cuts all ties with Gaza; there will be no more Palestinian workers from Gaza.”

Many Arab countries have condemned Israel’s heavy assault of Gaza, along with Turkey and the UN. Moscow criticised the acts of West Jerusalem as well. while denouncing the Hamas attack on October 7.

During an extraordinary meeting of the UN General Assembly on Wednesday, Russia’s ambassador to the UN, Vassily Nebenzia, stated that Israel’s right to self-defense does not justify an invasion of Gaza, which is outside the jurisdiction of West Jerusalem.

West Jerusalem was incensed by his remarks and responded angrily, accusing Moscow of undermining Israel’s right to security while trying to deflect attention away from its own military campaign in Ukraine.

Israeli President Isaac Herzog chastised people on Thursday for allegedly trying to “tie our hands” by pressuring for a ceasefire. “Anyone who believes that this time, we would tie our hands and save Hamas through the callous exploitation of civilian misery is mistaken. In a New York Times opinion piece, he stated, “For us and the Palestinians, the suffering will end only with the removal of Hamas.”