In stark address, PM rebukes hostage deal critics, warns against U.S.-Iran pact, and hints Israel may act alone on Tehran’s nuclear threat.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delivered a forceful recorded address Saturday night, rejecting calls to trade an end to the Gaza war for the return of Israeli hostages and declaring his government’s readiness to act independently against Iran if necessary.
“We will not end the ‘war of revival’ before we destroy Hamas in Gaza, return all our hostages, and ensure that Gaza no longer poses a threat to Israel,” Netanyahu stated in a prerecorded speech broadcast after Passover.
The Prime Minister dismissed suggestions that Israel could deceive Hamas by agreeing to cease hostilities, securing the release of captives, and then resuming the war. “Hamas are a group of despicable murderers, but they’re not stupid,” Netanyahu said, deriding unnamed “experts” who advocate such a strategy as ignorant of the international constraints that would make renewed fighting untenable.
He cited Hamas’s demand for “binding international guarantees” as a nonstarter, warning that once Israel agrees to end the war, it will not retain international legitimacy to return to battle: “There is no ‘fake obligation.’ If we obligate not to fight, we can’t go back to fighting in Gaza.”
Netanyahu reiterated that accepting Hamas’s terms would hand a victory to Iran and reverse Israel’s military gains. “Leaving Hamas in charge in Gaza would be a massive defeat for Israel and a massive victory for Iran,” he warned.
The Hostages and Missing Families Forum fired back, accusing Netanyahu of having “no plan” to retrieve the 59 Israelis still held in Gaza. “Many words and slogans will not be able to hide the simple fact — Netanyahu has no plan,” the group said, lamenting the absence of a press Q&A and claiming that only a permanent ceasefire would bring the captives home.
Yet Netanyahu remained defiant. “As your prime minister, I will not capitulate to the murderers who committed the worst massacre against the Jewish people since the Holocaust.”
Turning to Iran: A Red Line Reaffirmed
Netanyahu used the final minutes of his 12-minute address to pivot sharply toward Iran, amid fresh signs that the U.S. may seek a new diplomatic framework with Tehran. “I won’t give up on this, I won’t let up on this, and I won’t withdraw from this — not a millimeter,” he said, referencing Iran’s nuclear ambitions.
The statement comes as Israeli security officials reportedly continue contingency planning for a limited strike on Iranian nuclear sites, even after U.S. President Donald Trump declined to authorize a recent Israeli proposal. Talks between Washington and Tehran are underway in Muscat, with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi claiming progress toward “a new understanding.”
Israeli media, including Channel 12 and Maariv, have cited unnamed defense officials warning that any perceived U.S. concession to Iran — including allowing centrifuge retention or reduced sanctions — could force Israel to act unilaterally.
Netanyahu’s rhetoric Saturday night echoed this sentiment. “It is amusing to listen to the criticism of those who opposed the actions I took to harm and delay Iran’s nuclear program in the past… actions without which Iran would have had a nuclear weapon 10 years ago,” he said.
A Hostage Deal Rejected, and a Strategic Warning Issued
The timing of Netanyahu’s address was no coincidence. It followed Hamas’s rejection of an Israeli proposal to release half the remaining hostages in exchange for a temporary ceasefire, and just days after reports emerged that the U.S. and Iran are moving toward a new nuclear agreement — one that would fall far short of Israel’s red lines.
The message was clear: Israel’s war in Gaza will continue regardless of international pressure or public fatigue, and if Washington compromises on Iran, Israel will reserve the right to take matters into its own hands.
For a prime minister under fire from both the left and right — and facing ongoing protests outside his residence — Netanyahu’s speech marked a recommitment to two of his core doctrines: No compromise with Hamas, and no tolerance for a nuclear Iran.
As one senior Likud official put it anonymously to Israel Hayom on Sunday: “This was Bibi’s message to Hamas, to Biden, and to Tehran — we fight our wars, not theirs.”
Good for Bibi. Trump, I fear has no genuine understanding of Muslims, especially the fundamental zealots.