Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu threatened this Thursday, on the last day of his visit to the United States, to resume the offensive on the Gaza Strip when the 60-day truce ends (which the Israeli delegation and that of Hamas continue to negotiate in Qatar) if the Islamists do not lay down their arms and they stop governing, and furthermore, Gaza is not demilitarized during that period.

“To achieve this (a permanent ceasefire), it must be done under the minimum conditions we have established: Hamas lays down its weapons, Gaza is demilitarized, and Hamas ceases to have governmental and military capacity,” the politician said. Netanyahu added that if that “is achieved in the 60-day negotiations, excellent; if not, we will achieve it in other ways, using force.”

Delegations from Israel and Hamas a group considered a terrorist group by the EU began indirect talks in Doha on Sunday to try to agree on a temporary 60-day ceasefire in the Gaza conflict. During this period, 10 of the 20 live hostages remaining in the Palestinian territory will be released and 18 deceased will be handed over. During that period, the delegations will also negotiate a permanent cessation of hostilities. Netanyahu, however, downplayed the latter point.

“Do you want this to continue?”

"They told us 'you will not return to war' after the first ceasefire agreement. We returned. They told us 'you will not fight again' after the second ceasefire. We returned. Now they say 'you will not fight again' after the third ceasefire. Do you want this to continue?" the prime minister said in a video, shortly before boarding the flight that would take him back to Israel after his visit to US President Donald Trump.

Netanyahu asserted that the duration of the offensive against Gaza (more than 22 months in which Israel has killed more than 57,700 Palestinians, according to data from the Gazan authorities) is due to the fact that “thousands of fighters with weapons” remain in the enclave. "We have prepared and are finally carrying out the most brilliant military operation in our history." He added that his government is seeking to maximize the release of hostages.