Despite the Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, saying on Sunday that the Hamas movement “rejected all proposals” to conclude a prisoner exchange deal with the Israeli government, citing statements by US Secretary of State, Anthony Blinken, in this regard, while he said that the Israeli authorities intend to increase “military and political pressure” against Hamas," considering that "this is the only way to liberate the hostages and achieve victory."

This came in a video statement published by Netanyahu on the eve of the Jewish Passover, which included biblical expressions through which he addressed Israeli citizens, and tried to justify his policies in the file of prisoners held by resistance factions in the Gaza Strip, during which he was keen to stress the necessity of “internal unity”.

Netanyahu said: “We are committed to returning 133 hostages from the Gaza Strip to their homes, both living and dead,” and added, using a biblical term linked to the Jewish Passover, “In every generation they come upon us to kill us; and the Blessed Holy One saves us from them.” He continued, “This time too, we will overcome those who demand our lives, thanks to the faith of our people, the courage of our warriors and our internal unity.”

He continued, "On this Easter night, our kidnapped remain in Hamas captivity before our eyes. Their suffering and the suffering of their families breaks our hearts and only increases our determination to return them. We are not abandoning, even for a moment, the sacred mission of returning them to their homes." He claimed that Hamas "refused to All proposals to release the hostages so far, and for this reason the US Secretary of State rightly said: Hamas has rejected all the proposals, and according to him, the only thing preventing an agreement is Hamas.

He added, "Instead of retreating from its extremist positions, Hamas is building on the division within us, and is drawing support from the pressures directed against the Israeli government. As a result, it is (pressuring its government) - in reference to the escalating demonstrations against it, whether those organized by the families of Israeli prisoners in Gaza." Or the protest movement will only tighten Hamas’ conditions for the release of our kidnapped. Therefore, we will deal additional and painful blows to him, and this will happen soon.”

He continued, "In the coming days, we will increase military and political pressure on Hamas because this is the only way to free the hostages and achieve victory." He continued, "On the eve of Passover, when the people of Israel emerged from slavery to freedom, we must remember our heroic martyrs and our wounded warriors, whom we became free thanks to their sacrifices: The State of Israel is strong, and the Israeli army is strong, in defense and in attack. Our enemies will not defeat us, we will defeat them.

Regarding reports of imminent US sanctions targeting the “Netzah Yehuda” Battalion of the Israeli occupation army, Netanyahu said: The Israeli army is the only factor preventing the slaughter of our people as in the old days. I will fiercely defend our army and our fighters. If someone thinks they can impose sanctions on an army unit; I will fight this with all my might; Just as our soldiers are united to protect us on the battlefield, we are united to protect them on the political field.”

It is noteworthy that this battalion committed many crimes against the Palestinians in the West Bank, including the torture of the elderly Palestinian Omar Asaad, who holds American citizenship, after abusing him, torturing him, leaving him in an abandoned house in the bitter cold, and causing him to die. After that, the US administration announced that it would conduct an investigation into the crimes of this battalion. The American decision to impose sanctions on the "Netzah Yehuda" Brigade came as a result of its violation of human rights in the West Bank.