Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that “we will not liberate thousands of terrorists and we will not withdraw the Israeli army from the Gaza Strip.” Netanyahu's statements come after National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir threatened to topple the government if a prisoner exchange deal with Hamas was approved.

Netanyahu said during a speech in the “Eli” settlement, a stronghold of extremist settlers in the West Bank, “I hear talk about types of deals, so I would like to make clear: We will not end this war with less than achieving all the goals. This means eliminating Hamas, returning our kidnappers, and ensuring “Does Gaza no longer pose a threat to Israel?”

Netanyahu added, "We will not withdraw the Israeli army from the Gaza Strip, and we will not liberate thousands of terrorists. All of this will not happen. What will happen? An absolute victory."

He continued, "This is not 'another round of combat,' and there will no longer be an exchange of blows, nor any more military operations. An absolute victory. And nothing less than this. I am committed to this, our soldiers are committed to this, and the overwhelming majority of the people are committed to this. We will not compromise." "No less than an absolute victory."

Before that, the head of the Israeli opposition, Yair Lapid, said that the Yesh Atid party he heads would support the government if it decided to ratify a prisoner exchange deal with Hamas. And later,

A statement issued by Lapid said, "We will give the government a safety net for any deal that returns the kidnapped people to their homes and families. This is our commitment to the kidnapped people and their families, and this is our duty."

Lapid added, “The first clause in the contract between the state and its citizens says that the state is responsible for their lives. This contract was violated on October 7. We cannot bring our dead back to life, but we must return the kidnapped people to their homes, otherwise something very essential will be destroyed.” “In our connection to others, in the relationship between a people and their land, and certainly in the basic trust between the citizen and the government. This must not happen.”

Lapid's statement comes in the wake of Ben Gvir's threat to topple the government if it agrees to a prisoner exchange deal, which was negotiated in Paris the day before yesterday. He wrote on the "X" platform that "a defeatist deal = dismantling the government."

Officials from Israel, Qatar, and the United States participated in a meeting held in Paris, including the head of the Mossad, the head of the CIA, the head of Egyptian intelligence, and the Prime Minister of Qatar.

The head of the Hamas political bureau, Ismail Haniyeh, announced that the movement is studying the deal.

The Ynet website quoted officials in Yesh Atid as saying that Lapid is ready to join the government in order to help pass a prisoner exchange deal, and to remain in the government for a limited period. They stressed that Lapid would not grant Netanyahu unlimited credit, but rather a temporary membership in the government in order to overcome Ben Gvir's threats.