Israeli PM again rejects ceasefire in Gaza without release of hostages

Israel will not agree to declare a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip without the release of all hostages held there, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday.

At a meeting with Israeli military pilots, Netanyahu said that Israel’s opponents were wrong when they though that the Israeli would not be able to consolidate. "We responded together and are now fighting shoulder to shoulder," he said.

He stressed that there will be no ceasefire without the release of hostages. He said that such a word should be crossed out of the vocabulary. Israel, in his words, has no other option than to continue until Hamas is defeated.